The finance industry isn’t like fashion, gaming or social media. You don’t have to prove that you have the most passion for the stock market if you’re going to be a great software developer!
If you’re looking for a career in software development or engineering it’s more important that you’re good at what you do, you can work well with other people and you’re willing to learn and improve.
Start by being bold: apply everywhere.
Apply to all those big companies with names you recognise. Apply to G-Research, apply to every job that sounds fun, even if you don’t think you tick all the criteria on their job spec.
G-Research is running a work experience programme for 16-18-year-olds.
Take the same approach to interviewing as well.
You may think some interviews might not be worth attending. You might feel slightly underqualified, or the role doesn’t quite feel the right fit; remember that interviewing is a skill in itself. The more interviews you do, the more comfortable you’ll feel in them.
It takes practice and it really doesn’t matter if you get rejected a couple of times. You’ll be better for the next interview, whether that’s in a year’s time at the same company, or somewhere completely different.
I was wholly unprepared and failed my first round of interviews at G-Research. I went away, completed a graduate scheme at a different company, and tried again. The second time, I got in, and I haven’t looked back.
Read more about finance in STEM on the Zine >>
This article was written by Samantha Rouse, Quantitative Development Manager at G-Research.
