College Major Change - Engineering to Financial Analyst - Need Advice

... I don't know what to say to people like you, because I know of so many who are 'interested in finance' for the wrong reasons. Unless you are graduating with a GPA less than 2.0 in engineering there's no reason why you should switch career, especially one as a financial analyst. Look, positions in finance are not created equal. No matter how much hype there is behind working in the field or on wall street, there's nothing special about most jobs in finance. I highly suggest you save yourself time and money and make some money in your field before considering a career change.

Well another problem has been that I did a co-op as a process engineer during one of my semesters, which is why I am graduating late. During that job is when I realized that the career path I was on just wasn't what I wanted to do. It could have been because I was treated as a "co-op" employee but I just felt it in my gut that I wasn't cut out for that. I am most likely going to finish this text still just because I want it under my belt. And yes, my GPA is not less than 2.0... that is not the reason why I want to change career paths. I have also thought about studying for the PMP but it just does not interest me as much. Thanks for the posts btw.

Oh and I don't currently have a engineering job lined up but I do have that position with AXA Advisors awaiting. I need a job so if I don't get a response from any of the other places I have applied to, I will most likely take the job.

Hey, I was in the same boat as you.

I was in mechanical engineering and after doing a few internships (they were at some really neat firms with sweet products) i realized that although I liked the coursework for engineering, I didnt like a career in engineering. I switched to finance and have done a few internships in finance and its been awesome. Granted, I've been interested in the markets and traded stocks as a hobby. To me, switching into finance was me realizing 'woah, I can actually make a career out of this? nice'

Sweet! How'd you get those internships though? Networking through friends or just mass applications to firms? I have not actually tried applying for financial internships yet.

For Axa all you're going to be doing is peddling life insurance to everyone you know, annoy the hell out of them, and most likely get fired after you can't sell that crap to anyone else while they keep making $$ off your clients. Don't take that job.

I am in almost the exact same situation, however I actually have damn near under a 2.0 in my engineering degree. I am going back to get a 2nd undergrad in economics to pretty much re-start. It'll take maybe 1.5 years but after my major screw up I'll be in a field I actually like. I am trying to get into credit risk for HF/PE as my ultimate goal.

That's what I figured. I'd be working with the Retirements Benefit Group selling retirement insurance to teachers. It's not what I had in mind but since they offered to sponsor me for the Series 7/66 I figured I might as well take them with AXA but I can see the risk of having a POS job.

Nice 2Shae... Good luck with that. Hope that turns out well for ya.

Couldn't agree more with jqbuyside.

I feel like you're viewing your degree almost as a negative. I would beg to differ. I was a finance major and sometimes wish I would've done engineering. You can get a LOT of good experience working as an engineer for a few years then going back to get your mba. After, you can leverage your industry-specific experience + mba to get into a 1) investment banking industry group (or any group, for that matter) 2) VC firm (potentially... ie if you worked in healthcare/medical products, clean tech, oil&gas, etc) 3) equity research (like jqbuyside said).

OP, quick question. Have you tried finding an engineering job? Not sure where you are, but where I am if you graduated with a half decent gpa you could get an engineering job with minimal effort.

I guess you can see it as that but I do appreciate the engineering degree I've obtained from RPI as it has improved my abilities not just through obtaining engineering knowledge but allowing me to think in a more organizational manner with much stronger problem solving abilities. I also wouldn't doubt that obtaining an engineering job would be beneficial to what jqbuyside stated but my point was just that I don't enjoy engineering and therefore the change in my career path. Therefore, I have applied to engineering jobs such such as the project management and QA engineering side of my concentration, but it's just not as desirable.

If you want to be in high finance, I'd suggest either MBA for IB/PE, or an MFE for trading/HF.

First educate yourself on the space, and identify the field or role you want. That will dictate your track.

Gutshot - Definitely. I am currently finishing the text as mentioned in my first post which should give me a solid ground which I can build up. MBA is something down the line is what I'm hoping because originally I had actually applied to an MBA right after undergraduate but then friends have talked me out of it saying that it wouldn't be as effective without the job experience. So that's my view on that.

txjustin - I have been trying to find engineering jobs actually and it's been actually dry. I will keep trying though. I have applied for project management positions as well as supply chain/QA engineering roles.

XPJ - I'm sorry if that's how I came off but that's completely untrue. I am grateful for my degree in engineering, especially in the industrial & management side. It has helped me build a very strong engineering focal point and strengthened my problem solving and organizational skills. I have no doubt about what you said that finding an engineering position would give me good experience and eventually allow me to pick up my MBA into the 3 options mentioned but that's way down the line and as I mentioned, I really don't feel fit in the engineering position. By sticking myself with it for 3-6+ years would just be shooting myself in the head.

First, analyst on wall street could mean one of many things. As others have said, figure out what is most appealing to you and think about how to position yourself. What is IME like at RPI? If you were doing hardcore OR type work, you'd probably have a decent quantitative skillset that you MIGHT be able to leverage... perhaps into a stint (unpaid or not) at a boutique. It's all about how you sell yourself.

If you have a high GPA from undergrad and figure out a way to sell yourself well, I'd say you'd have a good chance of at least getting your foot into the door somewhere.

I doubt your Financial Planner job would put you any closer to what you mean when you say analyst on wall street.

Aren't the Series 7 and 66 helpful for sell side though?