Torn between tech (SWE / data science) and finance (quantamental / investment data analyst / data scientist)

Basically what title suggests. Wondering where to put my skills and what gives the most consistently good pay since pods are cutthroat but bonus upside is huge.

SWE market is extremely rough right now and I've always gotten more attention from investment firms than tech companies so confused where to take my career right now... seen a lot of big tech data scientists get hired to pods later on in life but wondering if it happens the other way as well.

Any insight / thoughts are appreciated, what should I prioritize right now?

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Class of '29 Sep 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

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“My meeting with Kevin Lee was super helpful and went well beyond what I originally expected. We met to discuss my LinkedIn profile, but the conversation also covered the hedge fund space and how I’m thinking about my career as a whole. I really appreciated being able to talk about both how I present myself professionally and the broader direction I want to take. As someone interested in hedge funds but also exploring other paths in finance, it was helpful to have a conversation that connected my profile to my actual interests and goals. Kevin gave me a lot to think about, and I left feeling clearer about my next steps. Overall, I really appreciated his time and willingness to go beyond the original purpose of our meeting.”

Class of '26 Sep 2026 Cohort

4.56/5

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“He was very responsive and prepared for the meeting. He actually read the JD, resume, and looked up linkedin which sometimes other mentors doesn't actually go over those to prepare things beforehand. I appreciate his direct comments I think it saved time and actually helped me to know exactly where to improve. I also appreciated him admitting if he doesn't know about specific HF strategy. Only thing I'd suggest for him is probably sending actionable key takeaways after the meeting because other mentors did and that was very helpful. ”

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3 Comments

PrivateTechquity 🚀🚀🚀

O

1y

Quant finance IMO has much better job stability (maybe not always at the same firm, but in finding work) than a SWE. Have friends who do both and the quant made a bit less early on but now makes substantially more vs other guy ran into a ceiling then bounced during one of the big layoffs the other year.

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"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion

lvl99bossman

HF

1y

I thought that quants made more super early on then get bogged down a little by non-competes? In terms of maximizing base, what would you recommend? I know job hopping in SWE typically increments your base more than quant, but quant is the higher bar to begin with right?

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PrivateTechquity 🚀🚀🚀

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"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion

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Torn between tech (SWE / data science) and finance (quantamental / investment data analyst / data scientist)

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Torn between tech (SWE / data science) and finance (quantamental / investment data analyst / data scientist)

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