HFT roles as a PhD Student

Hey everyone,

Finishing up my PhD researching cpu design and interested in a potential career in hft fpga engineering. Most people I know go the traditional industry research route so I do not know many people in hft. I use a lot of SystemVerilog/Verilog, have had industry internships in cpu logic/physical design, and also coursework and some small research projects using FPGAs.

With this experience do you all think I have the potential to get interviews/roles? I think being a PhD student could be less than ideal as I see most of the new grad roles are expecting masters or bachelors degree specifically. Would it make sense to go for senior roles over new grad ones? Thanks.

TLDR: Do I have a chance at hft roles as an PhD student studying cpu design?