Software Engineer -> Quant Researcher advice

Hi,

I’m a software engineer in London with 6 years of experience, at a tech company and then an asset manager.

I’m looking for advice on the best way to get a quant researcher role at a hedge fund. Should I get a quant developer role now and then try to transition to quant researcher later, or with sufficient preparation could I apply directly for a quant researcher role? If going the quant dev route, are there some hedge funds that would better than others for transitioning to quant research later?

I have a very strong maths masters but not much knowledge about financial maths or the financial industry in general.

Any advice would be appreciated

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