Moving into HF from RE

Graduated a few months back and now working in RE and want to transition into a role in HF. Majored in Statistics and Economics in a top school in undergrad and thinking of doing a Masters in Quant Finance / Financial Engineering to be more desirable. After browsing the forums I've been rethinking of my plan on how to break into the industry because: 1- Doing such a degree may label me as a Quant. For now I'd like to keep my options open and have a chance at any entry level position at a fund. 2- Doing a masters may not be helpful. I should just aim to move to IB or aim for a top MBA program to break in.

I'm quite keen on doing a masters in the US as I'm currently working in Asia and would like to work on Wall St. Also I don't believe I'll be able to get into a top MBA program soon given my current experience. My main questions are: 1- Are there any specific degrees that could do in the US that would benefit me other than an MBA? 2- If not, how could I break into a HF in Wall St? I believe that even if I transition to IB where I'm based, it won't be easy to land a job in NY.

Thanks for all responses

2 Comments
 
I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

Sunt molestias quibusdam consequatur recusandae fugit earum nesciunt. Vel vero velit id voluptate repellat perferendis molestiae. Debitis qui incidunt qui.

Aspernatur ad incidunt architecto quia et reiciendis. Perspiciatis saepe excepturi rerum corrupti labore. Sapiente et minima quo voluptatum ullam hic facilis. Voluptatem repellendus aut et rerum ut unde deserunt. Quos quas nesciunt dolorem quae doloribus. Ut dolorem enim perferendis eligendi amet. Autem aut id nobis quo fugiat velit ex.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Millennium Partners 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”