Is age a serious factor to getting a Quant job in finance?
Hello,
I was hoping to get some advice from people in the industry. I'm in my last semester of university (In Australia) graduating with a Bachelor of Finance. I am currently going through the process of applying for graduate positions and looking at the different programs I haven't had one clear career I've really wanted.
I have started looking into financial mathematics and I love it. The statistics, regression, how complicated and challenging it all is. I think I really do want a career on the Quantitative, statistical side of finance. I am considering studying a masters degree in financial mathematics, however I am 25 now and will be 28 by the time it finishes with no experience in finance whatsoever which I think companies might feel is very late to be beginning a career compared to 22 year old grads.
I am in a good position to get a graduate job with a bank now so I don't want to miss this opportunity. But if I'd be offered more choices after a masters degree without companies caring that I am 6 or 7 years older than other grads then I think that's what I would like to do.
I know its my choice and all that but just want some real, factual advice about what kind of risk I'd be taking by skipping an opportunity now to go for the masters.
Any help at all might help replenish the hair I've been ripping out over the decision.
Thanks in advance,
David.
I think you will be fine. Most PhDs who graduate in 5 years come out at age of 27-28 anyways.
Quant finance today is a very different industry from the glamorous pre-crisis days. There are too many students who come out of those programs. While most of them aspire to do something front-office (like S&T, quant investing, algo), too many them have to settle for risk quant just so they can stay in the United States.
If you aim for front office work, just make sure you don't settle for those regulatory risk quant jobs (like CCAR / DFAST stress testing, BASEL, or whatever acronyms). If you just want a job doing something quantitative and it's finance-related, then forget what I said above.
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