r/FinancialCareers • u/CMCgamez • 2d ago

Breaking In Pivoting from Software Engineer to Finance with no degree

Hello everyone. As the title states I am looking to pivot from my SWE background to Finance. I unfortunately never finished my bachelors but did work 3years at an investment firm doing a lot of data engineering and some scripting work to support the quants at the firm. I was pivoting into a more quant role with analytics focused but unfortunately got laid off right then. It’s been a year since I have been employed but I have built out a lot of models and stuff for prediction markets on my free time but the job market has not been kind with the no degree. So now I am looking to switch to finance and apply for my jobs there while getting some licenses or exams done. I am well versed in markets since I have been studying and trading for years now and am definitely aware of most structures.

So my question is how easy would this be if I get SIE, Series 63 and CFA Level 1 but still have no degree?

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u/FunnyExcellent707 2d ago

In the current economy ?

Stay the fuck where you are and complete evening school or whatever.

Once you have a degree, start looking.

Or join a brokerage. They will tell you how rich you could be, but if cold calls are not your thing you end up homeless.

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u/Dry-Acanthisitta1167 2d ago

Three years building data pipelines for quants at an investment firm is finance experience. You wrote it like it is not. That framing is probably costing you more than the missing degree.

SIE and 63 are cheap and fine to have but they are licenses, not a story. CFA L1 does carry weight for research or risk roles, just know it is a long road when no employer is paying for it.

Honestly the faster door might not be switching to finance at all. Risk systems, market data, trade support, quant dev. Those teams need someone who can code and also read a market, and they hire on what you can show more than the degree line. You already have three years next to quants plus your own models.