I want to be a trader. I'm at a state school. Should I study engineering?

<p>Should I study energy engineering instead of finance+math? I want to be a trader. I already have a math and econ minor. I also want to make sure I express interest in the markets. </p>

<p>I want to hedge my bets since finance is weak right now, markets are weak, hard to be a profitable trader.</p>

<p>I already have interned at Barclays in Middle Office as a freshman. What to do?</p>

<p>How did you get the Barclays internship?</p>

<p>u dont need a degree to be a trader</p>

<p>Actually kmzizzle you did need at least a bachelor degree to get into trading.</p>

<p>Wharton11, you are fine a major in finance+math since you will be crunching numbers and making guess for your client, might as well stick to it. Also makes you a better applicant then engineer.</p>

<p>also depends what trading we're talking about here
steet = no degree
prop = i guess a bachelors would be preferred
s&t = bachelors
quant = phd (usually)</p>

<p>Engineering won't be an advantage unless it's financial engineering. Focus on being a top math student and getting great recs from math profs.</p>

<p>yall dont know *** yall are talking about</p>

<p>"steet = no degree
prop = i guess a bachelors would be preferred
s&t = bachelors
quant = phd (usually)"</p>

<p>huh???????????????????????????</p>

<p>trading where makes no difference. a top quant/non quant hedge fund versus prop shop versus big bank makes no difference as long as they are best in respective field. its all about personal performance. and none of the best places will hire you from a state school unless you know *** is up. since you ask this question I doubt you have any chance at trading. i suggest to transfer. major does not matter as long as it is quantish. no traders have phds. phd is for math nerd to sit and office and work for us.</p>

<p>I hate the arrogance that is so prevalent among the IB aspirants, or IB's themselves. You guys think you are so incredible because you have been able to profit off of the latest bubble, but those times are coming to an end. America has been in an enormous bubble for the past 25 years, but it is finally popping. Once all is said and done, there will be no more demand for the "skills" of Investment Bankers.</p>

<p>Greed is incredible. It leads people to do such stupid things ...</p>

<p>Zotan, I fully agree about the arrogance of some of the aspirants. I can assure you if they let it show in interviews they will stay aspirants.</p>

<p>That said, there will always be investment bankers. Our Country will be in major trouble if we stop growing companies.</p>

<p>^there will always be investment banks, but the highly leveraged bulge bracket model is dead. The whole financial industry will contract to a more reasonable percentage of GDP (probably from 8% to 4-5%). While there will always be individual exceptions, I think compensation on average will see a terminal decline.</p>