I finally figured out what I want to do. The problem is getting there.

I’ve been jumping from one degree/program to another for a while, and only recently did I step back and realize that there has actually been a pretty consistent thread through all of it.

I started with Actuarial Science.

I liked the mathematics and the analytical side, but I wasn’t particularly interested in insurance. When I started applying for internships and ended up being pushed toward sales-related work, I remember thinking, this sucks.

So I did a software engineering bootcamp.

That was probably the most fun I’ve had learning. I learned Python, built things, broke things, fixed them, and realized that I genuinely enjoy engineering.

But then came the difficult part: building things and still not getting hired.

At some point I came across Financial Engineering and thought: this is it.

It combines the things I’ve been drawn to all along: mathematics, programming, statistics, data, markets, and building systems.

And now I’ve built a small quant portfolio around that interest. Looking at it all together, I finally see what I was trying to get to.

The problem is that I’m from Kenya, and I’m very aware of how difficult the quant path is from here.

I’m not coming from an Ivy League or a traditional target school. I don’t have the typical pedigree that seems to open the door to quant firms. I know that makes this significantly harder.

But here’s the thing: I don’t just like the idea of being a quant.

I actually enjoy the work.

I like financial engineering. I like building systems. I like mathematics. I like the research process. I even like the ridiculous moments where you’re sitting there at night wondering why an option was priced the way it was yesterday and trying to figure out what you missed.

That’s the part that makes me think I should at least try.

So I’m asking people here who actually work in quant, or have gone through the recruiting process:

What would you do in my position?

If you were coming from a non-target school, outside the major financial centers, with a quantitative background and some software/data experience, how would you realistically make yourself competitive?

Would you focus on building a stronger research portfolio?
Try to get into a PhD/MFE at a target school?
Aim for quant-adjacent roles first?
Try to get into a trading firm through a different route?
Or is the pedigree barrier simply too large to overcome without relocating and going back to school?

I’m not looking for encouragement for the sake of encouragement. I’d genuinely rather hear the uncomfortable truth.

If the answer is “this is a very long shot, but here’s the path I’d take,” that’s useful too.

I finally found something I actually want to spend years getting good at.

I just need to figure out how to get through the door.