- Joined
- 5/23/23
- Messages
- 1
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Hi all. I'm reaching out to request your valuable input and feedback on my academic and career profile. My primary goal is to assess my qualifications for admission into a master's program and evaluate my potential for transitioning into the field of quantitative finance. Your insights and expertise would be immensely helpful in shaping my decision-making process. A little about my background.
Nationality:
I'm from Asia. The closest major financial hub to me is Singapore
Education:
Bachelor of Engineering. Relevant courses: Ordinary Differential Equations, Computational Methods, Probability and Statistics, Vector Calculus, C++
Career Life:
late 2020 - mid 2021:
Research assistant in my university right after graduation. unfortunately the research was a flop and subsequently discontinued (funding was cut off for my supervising professor)
late 2021 - late 2022:
Joined an engineering graduate program with exposure to various departments. This experience sparked my interest in the business and finance, leading me to transition out of an engineering career. I successfully leveraged my cross-departmental experience to secure offers in management consulting.
late 2022 - present:
Currently working as an analyst in a management consulting firm, specializing in human resources. My role involves designing compensation packages, primarily for C-suite executives. I extensively utilize Monte Carlo and Black-Scholes to simulate stock prices to valuate the said compensation packages.
What got me interested in Quantitative Finance:
Intellectual stimulation: My current work got me interested in the application of mathematics (and to a certain extent, physics) to the world of finance. I got hooked to predicting risks and forecasting returns of my own portfolio (albeit not being very good at this at all), and I thought it would be cool to get involved in a field that has been a driving force in facilitating trade, economic growth and resource allocation.
Financial upside: There is close to zero opportunity for quantitative finance in my country, meaning if I were to take this path, I would have to move to a major financial hub. NYC is an ideal location, but working at other financial hubs such as London and Singapore would also warrant an absolute increase of total compensation for me (on average, 6x my current total comp), after considering the currency exchange and purchasing power parity.
Concern / Reality Check
Debt: The risk of accumulating debt if the transition is not successful is huge. To pursue this career, I think the next most sensible action would be to enrol in a Master's program. With my current salary, if the transition fails, on average I would accumulate about 5 years' salary worth of student loan.
I would love your feedback in my decision-making process. Thanks!
Nationality:
I'm from Asia. The closest major financial hub to me is Singapore
Education:
Bachelor of Engineering. Relevant courses: Ordinary Differential Equations, Computational Methods, Probability and Statistics, Vector Calculus, C++
Career Life:
late 2020 - mid 2021:
Research assistant in my university right after graduation. unfortunately the research was a flop and subsequently discontinued (funding was cut off for my supervising professor)
late 2021 - late 2022:
Joined an engineering graduate program with exposure to various departments. This experience sparked my interest in the business and finance, leading me to transition out of an engineering career. I successfully leveraged my cross-departmental experience to secure offers in management consulting.
late 2022 - present:
Currently working as an analyst in a management consulting firm, specializing in human resources. My role involves designing compensation packages, primarily for C-suite executives. I extensively utilize Monte Carlo and Black-Scholes to simulate stock prices to valuate the said compensation packages.
What got me interested in Quantitative Finance:
Intellectual stimulation: My current work got me interested in the application of mathematics (and to a certain extent, physics) to the world of finance. I got hooked to predicting risks and forecasting returns of my own portfolio (albeit not being very good at this at all), and I thought it would be cool to get involved in a field that has been a driving force in facilitating trade, economic growth and resource allocation.
Financial upside: There is close to zero opportunity for quantitative finance in my country, meaning if I were to take this path, I would have to move to a major financial hub. NYC is an ideal location, but working at other financial hubs such as London and Singapore would also warrant an absolute increase of total compensation for me (on average, 6x my current total comp), after considering the currency exchange and purchasing power parity.
Concern / Reality Check
Debt: The risk of accumulating debt if the transition is not successful is huge. To pursue this career, I think the next most sensible action would be to enrol in a Master's program. With my current salary, if the transition fails, on average I would accumulate about 5 years' salary worth of student loan.
I would love your feedback in my decision-making process. Thanks!
