Assuming I can get into a top 10 school for a masters in CS, would it be worth it to leave my current job as a SWE to go to grad school? Reasons for grad school: - top school for better chance at quant roles (2S, JS, etc) - more networking - an extra life experience - also interested in analyst roles at banks (most only take new grads/interns) Reasons against grad school: - could be expensive - losing 2 years of salary - ?? I keep hearing people saying it’s not worth it to go to grad school for SWE, and I understand that but I wanna switch to a quant role and possibly do more of finance. Would love to hear your thoughts Undergrad from big state school Current TC: ~115k YoE: <1 year
Could help you out in the long run
Do you mean going to grad school?
Leetcode and find a better job where you can learn real stuff
What do you mean by “better job where you can learn real stuff?”
You can get in 2s and js without grad school no problem. I think main attraction of grad school is that it's more intellectually stimulating.
Thing is I didn’t do so well with recruiting for new grad positions and didn’t end up where I wanted. So from where I am now (mid sized tech), i feel like it would be a long journey to get into quant at 2S/js. Is that reasonable?
Most certainly, You wont be using the stuff you learn in grad school in 2s/js on day to day basis. So if your end goal is to work there as software engineer, you are better off just apply directly, with proper prep of course.
No need for grad school for two sigma and js. Just do tons of leetcode
Same response as above. I feel like grad school would possibly shorten the journey/facilitate the process in the future
Jane Street almost exclusively hires new grads for trader + quant roles
So that supports going back to grad school right?
As someone with a Masters in computer science degree I would say that Masters is not worth it if your sole purpose is to be back into the job industry as a software engineer after Masters. Companies like Amazon do not have any positions that mandate Masters besides a very few roles (like core ML, NLU etc. but they are often taken by Phds/Post Docs).
Yeah I can definitely see your point. My goal is to pivot towards a quant role though, ideally in top places. Since I didn’t graduate from a top school, but rather a big state school, I feel like doing a masters would help for that. What do you think?
Masters as a whole would be an intellectually stimulating experience. However, do note that quant roles may be cool today but it is not guaranteed to continue to be after you graduate. (Remember how being a DBA was cool?). Also, are you near the east coast?
If you’re looking for more of a quant / finance role why aren’t you looking at MBA programs instead of masters in CS?
Mostly bc id like to remain as technical as possible. Masters in CS I feel like gives me the fallback option of going back into tech if all fails
Masters in financial engineering might be okay. I don't think you can get a quant role without a PhD. You could probably get a quantitative developer gig though. If you really love maths and are willing to sacrifice some cash to satisfy your interests, then go for it.
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Can't you ask your company if they can help with grad school?
But then I’d have some pressure to go back to the company