I don't mind long hours or hard work. How do I become a trader? That requires coding? Don't really know coding but I can learn... Is it easy to break in with no experience? Sounds like a fun job. I know basic accounting and finance, equity valuation, and some trading. I used to trade in my 20s so know a little bit about that as well
There are a number of ways.
1 - get your MBA and apply in December for a summer internship and if you’re good, they will offer you a full time job when you graduate
2 - enrol to get your CFA and apply after you’ve completed your level 1
3 - get a coding job supporting the trading desk and network like heck and if they like you, they could offer you a job on the desk
4 - go to law school and specialize in corporate law or tax
5 - get into a support role, such as risk management or operations, network, network, network and if they like you, they might give you a shot.
All of these require more than a basic knowledge of the investment industry and a solid grasp of math and quantitative skills, which I assume shouldn’t be too difficult for someone with an engineering background.