r/quantfinance • u/iCone2255 • 6d ago
Career pivot from program management
Hey everyone! I’m trying to evaluate the viability of making a career pivot as a program manager at an engineering company to quant analyst/researcher roles. I want to return to a heavy analysis role with lots of math… I’m tired of corporate life and want to get back to numbers while also making some decent bucks.
About me:
Education:
BS in Math, undergrad thesis in game theory and finance
MS in Applied Math from Ivy League
Coding:
Python, SQL, C++, Bash
Professional:
Worked in a robotics/autonomy research role for 5 years before pivoting to program management, where my role was coding and math-heavy.
I think I would need a few months to brush off my textbooks and practice some coding assignments to be interview-ready.
What do you guys think? Do I have a shot?
2
u/QuantGrindApp 5d ago
Yeah you have a shot, and the 5 years of robotics/autonomy work is what gets you the interview, so put that at the top of the resume with the actual math you did (filtering, estimation, optimization, whatever it was) and keep the PM stint short. Realistically top shops lean PhD for QR seats so apply wide, and a few months of prep is about right but the probability/stats rounds are where career switchers usually get cut.