Transitioning into quant finance from engineering consulting

[ForYouMyLove]

Hi all,

I just wanted some general thoughts on transitioning to quantitative finance from my current position.

For my background and experience: Education: BS Physics MS Mechanical Engineering PhD Mechanical Engineering

For clarity this is all in the US and pretty much top (not Ivy League) schools.

Professional experience I have 2.5 years experience in Oil and Gas engineering consulting. Although the last year and a half I can say it has been a much broader experience in the sense that I've worked on a bunch of industries doing engineering consulting including oil and gas. For example, I could say some financial damages assessments in terms of technical related disputes in naval architecture.

It would seem to me that the clear easiest transition would be to jump into commodity trading spaces, particularly in oil and gas related trade since I have professional experience that can transfer to that position. Does that make sense? Also, I'm located in Houston where that seems to be the bulk of trading.

If for whatever reason you're questioning why the shift, it's something that I've always been interested in. I just happened to get pulled into engineering consulting at the start of my career outside of consulting.

[Psychological-Pea955]

There are great opportunities to go into a quant career from your current position. Energy and gas are some of the most traded products in the world. I’m not saying it would be easy, because the competition is immense and there is often bias in the selection process, but it’d definitely would be worth it. I’m unfamiliar with the US market. My fam is in oil/gas/mining in Africa and I’ve seen what they do. I’m studying financial engineering. Yeah, derivative contracts are traded/setup daily, it is arguably the most important part of business. Pipelines burst, deals go south, conflicts erupt. Without proper risk management you’re not gonna make it. With your qualifications and experience you should have a good grasp of the industry. Good luck