Hi!I got a PhD in physics in 2009 (mathematical models for finance and statistical analysis of real-world time series, 3 years C++).I was in Ireland this autumn and now I'm based near London, looking for a position in the financial industry.However I did NOT get my PhD in a UK/US university.How much does this lessen my probabilities of getting in?I've been looking for my first job (in finance!) since march, but I was interviewed only once.What kind of strategy would you suggest me?1) MBA2) a PhD/postdoc in a UK university3) keep insisting, just send more CVs!4) other ...Thanks for help!

4) Get a better CV, talk to a headhunter for help on getting relevant interviews based on a tailored CV.

Thank you for your answer. So I don't have to be worry about my PhD in a foreign university ...I don't want to hammer on this point. But it would be useless to send thousands of CVs if they put me at the bottom of the list.Since it seems that the market is saturated, this would imply only a waste of time. And this saturation is said to last even after the present crisis ...Obviously I won't start a PhD/postdoc if I'm not interested in that research field. There are a couple of charming research fields (quite unrelated to finance!) that I would like to explore.Anyway ... for what strictly concerns the London's financial industry, an MBA or a PhD/postdoc in a UK university wouldn't add anything to my CV?

You won't know whether you sit at the bottom unless you send a lot of resumes. I think you'll find something good if you actively apply. If you're not doing anything at the moment then I would say you should get a postdoc and work with someone who also does math-finance. And not just anywhere in the UK, try to stay in london. After that it wouldn't be hard to get an industry job. You don't need UK/US master/phd.

QuoteOriginally posted by: bovinad(mathematical models for finance and statistical analysis of real-world time series, 3 years C++).Physics? Sounds suspiciously like finance.QuoteHowever I did NOT get my PhD in a UK/US university.How much does this lessen my probabilities of getting in?none whatsoever. There are many great math/physics departments outside the UK and US. Besides, do you really think that if you worked with someone famous and published articles of note it really matters where you did it? My point being that it's the content that matters, how you present it on your CV, your preparation etc. Not vacuous names and places.

QuoteOriginally posted by: bovinadSince it seems that the market is saturated, this would imply only a waste of time. And this saturation is said to last even after the present crisisLeave worrying about that to headhunters whose business will be affected adversely by market saturation. You need one job, so forget about market saturation.Look for jobs through reputable headhunters, and work with them. If you are not getting interviews, you need to rewrite your CV. Your recruiter(s) should sit down with you in a cafe for half an hour and help you out.What are you doing while you look for a finance job? Something useful, hopefully.

QuoteOriginally posted by: kiwimanBesides, do you really think that if you worked with someone famous and published articles of note it really matters where you did it?I don't. At all. But this a good point. Suppose you've just started working in a famous group. They are going to publish a paper on PNAS, they give you their outcomes asking you to make all the graphs. Of course you do it and they put your name as co-author. Hence you have a publication on a very important review having done nothing but something anybody could do. It happens. To my experience, if you are a PhD student publishing barely depends on you. It depends much more on the publishing drive of your supervisor, which may be close to zero (sure + fixed income = relax). You have far more probabilities to publish, making graphs for your boss than achieving your own results: he won't take the time to read your drafts. You may finish your PhD with your thesis, a couple of preprints on arxiv.org and a proceeding from a conference. I got my PhD in Italy. It was a great experience from a personal viewpoint, but frustrating for what concern productivity.Do they rely on publications so much?Thanks all for your answers!

QuoteOriginally posted by: ArthurDentWhat are you doing while you look for a finance job? Something useful, hopefully.I'm studying portfolio theory and option pricing, just to get an insight into real finance. I'm trying to keep myself trained with maths and programing.My occupation has nothing to do with finance, but it's useful to improve my english

Wouldn't an Irish PhD be almost a UK PhD? May be just reframe your CV to show Ireland as a part of UK!

I didn't get my PhD in Ireland, I was there to improve my english (and to visit that beautiful green country of course).Besides I don't think that my irish friends would be happy of this reframing

QuoteOriginally posted by: bovinadI got a PhD in physics in 2009 (mathematical models for finance and statistical analysis of real-world time series, 3 years C++)....However I did NOT get my PhD in a UK/US university.How much does this lessen my probabilities of getting in?I've been looking for my first job (in finance!) since march, but I was interviewed only once.Do not know if it is the same in UK, but a lot of people who work in finances in the US have a foreign education / degrees. I would say may be up to 30% PhD. So it is not a deal breaker.Though, in the US people know domestic universities and companies, but do not distinguish between foreign ones, except may be the most famous. It may be a disadvantage for an applicant if he studied / worked at top places in his old country, or an advantage if he was not so lucky before immigrating. Also, it is strange that you wrote "UK/US": UK is foreign for US, and probably vice versa.

Heck, 50% of the Finance PhD students in USA are from France, China, and Eastern European countries. I think once you get to PhD level the nationality is not so important during recruitment even though the great USCIS may try to create problems with the work permit.

QuoteOriginally posted by: traderjoe1976Heck, 50% of the Finance PhD students in USA are from France, China, and Eastern European countries. I think once you get to PhD level the nationality is not so important during recruitment even though the great USCIS may try to create problems with the work permit.Not only Finance - but the background is a different thing. Generally, it does not matter in a hiring process where a Stanford PhD obtained his BS and/or MS - in Rice, Bangalore, or some obscure place. Stanford will pop up as an immediately recognizable brand name in his resume. On the other hand, practically all foreign PhD will be considered "white label", especially by HR ... Who knows top schools in all countries - in China, and in Russia, and in India, and in Poland, and in Italy, and in dozens of others? Most of people will recognize only Oxford and Cambridge. Still, it is not a deal breaker - people from all these countries found jobs and work successfully.

The degrees only get you the chance to interviews and never get you the job.It all really depends on how well you do on the interviews and whether you fit in the group.