Transitioning From Military Into Investment Sector; Two Masters Degrees

After reading through many forums I still have questions regarding my situation and the best route to take. Presently I am active duty military stationed overseas in Turkey with 18 months left on my enlistment. I have a masters degree through Troy University in international relations with a 3.76 GPA and completing a second one through the University of North Dakota in Applied Economics with a 3.5 GPA. I understand these are not top-tier schools but I utilized what was offered where I was stationed; instead of doing nothing. Overall, I have 10 years military experience in a leadership role as an air traffic controller. During my time in the military I have traveled extensively from Iceland to Ukraine and Turkey to Iraq. Lastly, I have published two political science books reviews in an academic journal; demonstrating writing ability etc...

With that being said, I am interested in entering the commodities trading industry, specifically oil/energy and metals. Currently, I am reading as much information possible on the industry and studying for the Series 3 Exam along with finishing school. In the long run I would like to work at a hedge fund, though from my research this usually does not happen initially, so I am more than happy to take the commodities route as that most interests me. By and large I recognize I have not taken the traditional route but still wish to enter this field while I am in my 20s. Finally, I am married with a two year old daughter and another on the way so accepting a internship probably will not work as I do have to put food on the table and a roof over their head. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

4 Comments
 

MDs really respect military service. When you go to NYC or wherever, meet as many as you can. But there are a few things they're looking for... either advanced leadership experience or combat/leadership experience. Sorry to sound blunt, but I know of plenty of MDs who have hired on the spot on the basis of the two.

 
Best Response

OPSEC relates mostly to future operations, not past operations.

I separated from the Navy six months ago and I'm also interested in a trading career. From what I've read though, trading is a very tough environment where few make consistent money long -term. Since you've already got a family, I would consider a more stable, predictable job, at least for your first job in the industry. J.P. Morgan has a great career program for former military. I participated in a J.P. Morgan webinar about one week for former military interested in careers at J.P. Morgan. The webinar was hosted by five former military now working at the associate level and above at J.P. Morgan and they answered a lot of questions and gave great advice on how transition from the military to the finance industry.

http://careers.jpmorgan.com/student/jpmorgan/careers/military

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." - Albert Einstein
 

Quos rerum harum dolores rerum occaecati debitis ratione. Voluptatum delectus expedita nihil ab qui doloremque quia. Tenetur quae iure reprehenderit eum magnam tenetur qui. Aut illum aperiam neque.

Ratione in sunt hic est deserunt recusandae. Sit praesentium est est sed. Fugit hic aut hic suscipit. Sed velit tempore necessitatibus sit.

“I am always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”