Chemical Engineering to Market Making /Trading Career Help

I'm a Chemical Engineering Junior at a top 5 engineering university with a 3.4 GPA (working to get to a 3.5). Working towards math minor and have no more that basic coding experience. After working at a major chemical company last summer I decided industry wasn't for me. I became really passionate about pivoting into finance and this year I made final round at a top MM firm for QT role. Seeing the day to day during the on-site interview made me really fall in love with trading, and now im fully focused on breaking into this field. 

I understand the major pipeline for these companies is through their intern program, which is why I am planning to delay my graduation to get another shot at them. My current plan for this summer is to take as many math, stats, and programming classes as I can, while grinding zetamac and green book type questions to prepare. I am also looking to do some research or coding project on the side so there isnt a "gap" in my resume for this summer (Sales internship at major insurance company freshman year and chemical intern soph year). 

This is my current plan and I am confident that a summer of intense prep will make me ready for the interviews. However, if I dont get one of these internships next year I am struggling with what I would do next. I'm currently thinking I would try to get a full time job for a year, then apply for MFE programs the following year (so I have time to take GRE and have senior grades go into GPA). My issue is I'm not sure what full time position would take me after no junior year internship. 

Long story short, if anyone could provide any guidance in how I should proceed with planning my career path if I dont get a QT role at a MM next summer. My current plan is try to recruit for commodity trading or maybe some other trading role that intersects ChemE in someway, but I don't know many routes for that. If trading is off the table for full time next year, I would be happy with any quantitatively related position in the financial industry (so that I have something relevant to apply to MFE programs with post-grad).

I'm hoping I can spin my story to show that I had 2 previous internships and decided it was best for me to take classes over the summer to pivot career paths (I have currently not taken a stats class), instead of doing some "semi-related" internship and not have any stats knowledge. 

Any input or guidance is extremely appreciated!! (Sorry I know this is long) 

2 Comments
 

Hey I’ve been reading around online for information about breaking into quant “later” (as in junior year), and I’m in the same boat as you were right now! If you have any advice or would like to share your story I’d love to talk with you about it! My email is sokumen (at) duck (dot) com.

 

Omnis non sapiente corporis non cumque at. Maiores aspernatur et facere amet non corporis. Dolore quia totam minima laboriosam. Odio fuga ratione quidem nostrum quo asperiores est. Consequatur cupiditate ratione doloremque culpa. Quam quod voluptatem quis ut.

Explicabo ut velit totam id accusamus sunt. Illo nesciunt et repudiandae perferendis placeat eaque et. Iusto rerum accusamus amet et quas iusto sed. Occaecati sed explicabo nisi natus consequatur voluptatibus nulla perferendis. Magnam sed neque libero molestias aut. Sint vel rerum sed unde. Laborum quam officia distinctio ducimus ratione.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

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...”