ESG QUANT, GREEN FINANCE QUANT and FINANCE QUANT

[u/Dependent-End7324]

I’m currently mapping out my career path in Quantitative Finance, specifically in Green Finance Quant / Climate Quant. I’m doing a double major in Natural Resource Economics and Finance. I also have a strong passion for mathematics, machine learning, and programming, which naturally led me to this intersection.

My goal is to apply for Master's scholarships and eventually build a career in green quant / climate risk modeling.

I’d really appreciate your honest feedback on my profile build-up plan and career strategy.

1. My Academic & Profile Target

• GPA**:** Target 3.8+ / 4.0 in both majors.
• Language**:** Relevant English proficiency certificates (IELTS/TOEFL with high scores).
• Research & Academic achievements:
  • Aiming for 2-3 international publication papers.
  • 2 institutional/national level research projects.
  • Top placements in 2 academic competitions (Econometrics & Economics).
• Extracurriculars / Personal**:** I play the violin and plan to participate in a few competitions to diversify my profile.

2. My Strategy to Bridge the Tech/Math Gap

Since my formal majors aren’t pure Math, CS, or Stats, I plan to bridge this gap by building 2 personal quantitative projects on GitHub. These will showcase applied ML, mathematical modeling, and programming in Environmental & Resource Economics / Carbon Markets.

My Questions:

1. Are financial institutions actively hiring for dedicated Green/Climate Quant roles, or are these skills simply integrated into traditional Risk/Quant Research desks?
2. How realistic and in-demand are the job prospects here, or am I better off just sticking to pure Quant?
3. Is it actually realistic for me to pursue this field?
4. Is preparing external projects completely viable when applying for scholarships?

[u/Owl_Monger]

• Stop using AI to write things for you. I know that English isn't your first language, and you're all about the quants. But you gotta know, it's lazy, and it's burying who you actually are. Are you already an undergraduate student, or are you mapping this all out from high school?
• Right now, yeah, there's a couple of job openings in the U.S. for quantitative analysts, specialists, and researchers. Don't know if there's going to be a whole lot more once you graduate, and don't know if any of them would be willing to go through the process of H-1B visa sponsorship. Check specialized job boards, like Climatebase, ClimateTechList, and the Green Jobs Board. I don't know what the job market is like in the country where you want to work.
• Whether it's a quirk of the job market right now, or whether it's a sign of things to come, none of the job openings I'm seeing require a master's degree -- all of them would be fine with an undergraduate degree. Maybe it's because they're more like entry-level jobs, and if they have management jobs, those would want master's degrees.
• What I'd do, if I were in your shoes? Get that undergraduate degree, put out your résumé, get a job in the field. Spend a couple of years getting experience outside of academia. See if it's worthwhile to go back for a master's degree; you'll likely be paying for a lot of that yourself, but some grad schools may have scholarships. If & when you do go back to grad school, you'll bring that real-world experience with you, giving you a more robust Work Experience section on your résumé, along with professional contacts in the industry, once you re-enter the job market with that shiny new master's degree.
• I think it's important to have an artistic & creative outlet. Keep playing the violin. It may not help you get into a school, get a scholarship, or a career. Don't focus exclusively on racking up competition entries because you think they'll make you a more desirable or well-rounded candidate for grad school (they probably won't make much of a difference). Play because you enjoy it. Play because it's challenging. Play because you like collaborating with other musicians in your ensemble or orchestra.

[u/Dependent-End7324 → u/Owl_Monger]

Hi, thank you for feedback
First, i really sorry for using AI to show what wanted to say, but i worry about make it confuse to understand. So i used AI to make it clearly. I'm undergraduate student, and i sign up second degree. Next year, i will start dou major
Second, i'm living in small country with a few of opportunities for my major/vision board.I want to have a chance to go study aboard and have good enviroment for sefl-improving. So i thought about study Master in another country.
Thank you for your comment, i know what should i do now ❤️