Careers/pathways in Market Risk?

Hi, I'm currently an incoming freshman at my state school (non-target) and have been doing some research and wanted to learn more about the Risk mgmt field. I currently plan on doing a dual degree in finance and math/statistics, and while I would say have good qualitative/relational skills, I would consider myself to have a more quantitative skillset. Here are a few questions:

What are the qualifications to enter the field? I have seen a lot about how its common for people to enter the field with a post-grad degree, and I am wondering what it's like entering as an undergrad.


What should I focus on studying during undergrad?

Is the field math/programming heavy? I love doing math and I'm currently teaching myself how to code in Python, Java, R, VBA, etc. I was originally interested in pursuing a career in the IB area, but I would love to incorporate math into my career and use a more quantitative skillset.

Is the compensation/work-life balance worth it? Again with IB, the hours seem ridiculous to me and I'm wondering how people feel about the compensation compared to what you put in in risk.

What should I do as far as interning during undergrad? What kind of internships should I look for? I plan on trying to start as early as freshman/sophomore year.

How competitive is getting into MR compared to IB?

What's the difference between the work in Market Risk and other fields such as Credit Risk?

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me.

 

Occaecati debitis dolores similique nisi exercitationem doloremque. Ullam ut neque magni maxime dolores. Ducimus accusantium adipisci ut mollitia et.

Unde in sunt asperiores voluptatem repudiandae cupiditate commodi quo. Nobis impedit totam eius ut. Ex veritatis maxime porro mollitia ut ut sit. Magnam amet ut iure id nam.

Vitae enim facilis necessitatibus reiciendis ea dolores eum. Modi tempore provident cumque ut soluta.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (20) $385
  • Associates (88) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (67) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”