Second Degree to Quant
Hello All,
This is my first post, and I hope you're all doing well. I’m a second-year staff accountant who graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor’s in Accounting from a lesser-known four year college. Since then, I’ve been gaining experience and have been with my current company in Manhattan, NY for two years. I’m now 24 years old.
Over time, I’ve realized that I don’t enjoy accounting as much anymore. I’ve discovered other areas of finance that excite me, particularly the more mathematical aspects. I also trade part-time and would love to transition into a field that involves this kind of work. However, I’m unsure how to break into such roles, especially since I don’t have significant experience in that space or any connections.
My academic journey has been challenging—I graduated with a low GPA during my first degree due to personal circumstances, which I take full responsibility for. There was a time when I didn’t even think I’d reach this point in my life, so I’m surprised at how far I’ve come.
Currently, I’ve been accepted into a Bachelor’s in Physics program at a mid-tier college, which I’m actively working towards completing. It is better than my previous college. I’m hopeful this will help me pivot toward my dream career, but I’m unsure about the best steps to take from here. Should I continue with this degree until I am finished in 3 years? Should I go to business school for an MBA? Should I apply for a MFE program? (Although I heard they do not help that much)
Do any of you have suggestions or advice on how I can break into the industry? I’d truly appreciate hearing your thoughts, if you have any to share.
Thank you!
First of all, I am sorry to hear you have had some struggles in your life so far, but I am glad you have overcome them!
You mention your "current company" and you are "actively completing" the second degree, so does that mean you are working and studying at the same time?
In any case, a tricky one. Your accounting degree is of course already quite relevant to a financial career. I would say a second degree in Physics might only help if you get to say PhD level and that will take a long time of course. So, given you have an undergrad already, I would still think something like an MFE from NYU (given you are in Manhattan) would help the most, both in terms of content and opportunities for networking etc. Also, if you are indeed still working and also studying part-time, something like the CQF program, which I completed most of a number of years ago, can be good options, or some other part-time programs.
Anyway, these are some of my initial thoughts. Regardless of what you decide, I wish you all the best!
Thank you for the kind words and helpful advice!
I’m currently balancing full-time work and school. I do not want to purse a PhD as of yet. Do you think NYU might consider me despite my first degree having a lower GPA? I’ve also heard that MFEs don’t always provide significant advantages for candidates—do you think that’s true? On that note, would you say Columbia University offers a better MFE program than NYU? Additionally, my resume doesn’t feature any standout achievements—it mostly includes accounting-related experience.
I’d also love to hear more about your career journey and the path you took. Could you share where you earned your CQF?
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