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Going into finance with an engineering degree

Do employers in the city look favourably upon graduates with engineering degrees? in particular civ eng?
Is it relatively easy to get into the city? Or do people with economics and finance related degrees start higher up the chain quicker?

Reply 1

shiny

Una Cerveza, Por Favor

The financial sector as a whole looks favourably upon engineers. Inside the City bubble though I would have to say, unfortunately, that place of study probably has a bigger impact than subject of study. PhDs in Engineering (specifically in signal processing) are of particular interest to those looking for quantitative analysts. Graduates with a background in economics or finance will have a richer variety of potential career options open to them. Basically an engineering degree will get you access to entry level jobs which call for quantitative ability (e.g. middle/back office) but front office roles requiring some kind of background in economics/finances/business from the outset might not be so approachable.

Reply 2

whizz-kid

it depends really u do climb higher with a degree in economics

Reply 3

+ polarity -

Hey, erm what if you only wanted to work in finance for a few years or something?

What if you wanted to be chartered too? :teeth:

Reply 4

prospectivEEconomist

It's possible as long as you show your interest in finance.

Reply 5

Una Cerveza, Por Favor

thanks

so, realistically, there is a disadvantage having an eng degree compared to an economics degree in finance. is this still the case if the eng degree is from somewhere such as cambridge, or imperial? and is there scope to climb higher with eng degrees (front office), even though they are not finance specific?

Reply 6

shiny

Una Cerveza, Por Favor

It is not so much a disadvantage as just common sense. If someone studies economics and finance for 3-4 years of course they are going to be on a slightly different career path to someone who has spent 4 years doing engineering. Also, most of what I said only applies to graduate entry positions (analysts) after that it is entirely up to you. You could train internally and engineer a move for yourself into a different division or you could step out, go back to school and do a Masters in Finance and re-enter the sector on a different career track.

Reply 7

Una Cerveza, Por Favor

Thanks
has anyone here gone into finance with an engineering degree, or is planning to?

Reply 8

jack999

Una Cerveza, Por Favor

Thanks
has anyone here gone into finance with an engineering degree, or is planning to?

I am...im planning on doin mech engineering (Meng)...planning on goin into the finance sector...probably investment banking...

Basically...Banks ask for number intensive degrees ...engineering is full of it...
the only downside is that a guy with a economics degree or finance degree will more likely get promotions, more likely to get the job, unless you show tremendous intrest then u got a shot...

Reply 9

Brainss

jack999

For a career in finance? How?

Reply 10

middlj

Engineering Degree > Finance Degree

Reply 11

jack999

middlj

Engineering Degree > Finance Degree

since when is the financial sector of any country fully engineering there maybe be sections but its majority is finance related hence called the FINANCE sector so how can engineering>finance

banks require say qualifactions of XYZ

finance degree gives u XYZ

engineering only gives you XY

like we would learn about mergers aquistions etc in an engineering degree

Reply 12

gideongaspard

I believe engineers have quantitative skills. The finance sector is very keen on this and I believe that's why engineers excel in the finance sector. My Computing teacher at sixth for was telling me how now past students have made it to the top at companies now and business' in this sector. So I genuinely believe engineering gives a much more array of skills than people who did finance.

Reply 13

PleaseHelpMe?

Dear OP, how did it all work out for you?
I'm currently studying mechanical engineering and recently I have become very interested in working in finance.
Is there anyone on here that made the switch?

Reply 14

username1432499

Original post by PleaseHelpMe?

Dear OP, how did it all work out for you?
I'm currently studying mechanical engineering and recently I have become very interested in working in finance.
Is there anyone on here that made the switch?

I would love an answer to this post as i am currently in this predicement

Reply 15

missfrivolous

Original post by jack999

It happens to be called 'transferable skills' (only because everything has to be somehow associated with vague notions of 'employability' in today's obnoxious, money-grabbing society of youths).

A broad education has always been highly valued - for thousands of years, in fact, having its origins of the artes liberales which emerged in late Hellenistic Europe on the one hand and in other cultural spheres (particularly those of the Semitic and Eastern regions) on the other. While engineering is in itself more of a technical subject, it tastefully incorporates a vast amount of the liberal arts, in particular some exceedingly difficult mathematical, arithmetic and scientific content that in many cases goes far and beyond the scope covered by a modern finance major, as well as economics and a fair bit of humanism which sits at the intersections of social science, humanities and natural sciences. So, you see, engineering, while technically an applied subject, is actually a very broad and (depending on course and institution) even scholarly subject which draws from wider traditions of learning.

The name of the degree course matters not so much as the bedrock of the course content and whether or not it engages with pedagogical and scholarly traditions developed and improved over thousands of years.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 16

Doones

Original post by missfrivolous

It happens to be called 'transferable skills' (only because everything has to be somehow associated with vague notions of 'employability' in today's obnoxious, money-grabbing society of youths).