You’ve built a strong foundation in both finance and programming skills. How did you go about strengthening your math and programming skills, and what advice would you give to students looking to do the same?

When I had to appear for my very specific interviews involving a lot of math and stats, my one strategy would be that; I used to have this course called “Applied Econometrics and Econometrics” We used to have books from Damodaran having various chapters. While preparing for the interviews I made extensive shorthand notes of 14-15 chapters spending 2-3 weeks on that. I have shared this document with my batch mates and juniors as well. Whenever I have an interview coming up, I refer to these short notes first.

For programming; quant roles want to see if you can think in a certain direction and develop things, which is more essential. For maths and stats, you should have really strong fundamentals. For programming, a working knowledge will suffice.

How did you manage to actively take part in both a performing club, the dance club, and the badminton team?

I was always a dancer, since my childhood. I auditioned for the dance club and they chose me for the contemporary team. I also liked badminton a lot, I used to play and still play. It was hectic in the first year. I had classes from 8 to 5, badminton practices from 5 to 8, and DC (Dance Club) from 8 to 11, after which I would have to come back and also study because I was a dualite. It was hectic but it helped me make a lot of friends. Dance production for the first year, performing for Oasis on stage, and competing with LSR and the DU circle were really interesting. That has helped me till now because I still dance and play as well in Goldman, even in Wells Fargo we had a group where we all used to play.

Could you precisely describe your role at Goldman Sachs?

My job at Goldman Sachs has two parts; BAU and a research aspect. I am part of QIS (Quantitative Investment Strategies) within which my portfolio is more macro alpha specific which is more global. Every day based on current happenings in the market we determine our positions. At the end of the day, we review our positions and report back, if we want to change anything. We focus on the American, Japanese, and European markets. The time zones play an important role as it’s two of us in India and two of my managers in New York, we have to get everything right before the trading day starts in New York.

Could you explain what QIS is and how technologies like AI ML impact your strategy and decision-making in your investment strategies?

QIS involves strategies that can be approached qualitatively or quantitatively; our team focuses on a quantitative perspective, using mathematical and statistical methods. Regarding AI/ML, we use it to process data like earnings calls, government debates, or election speeches, converting speech into insights our strategies can understand. For instance, we use AI/ML for sentiment analysis or behavioral psychology, leveraging news, Twitter, and Reedit data to analyze large volumes of content with an unbiased view.

However, finance and AI/ML have a sensitive relationship due to strict compliance regulations. Tools like ChatGPT are blocked at work, and if used, they would be customized and developed internally by the organization. While finance firms aren’t primarily tech-focused, they are increasingly hiring tech talent to stay ahead in innovation.

Being from BITS, how do you think your education has given you an edge in the finance industry, and what aspects of the BITS experience have helped you stand out in your career, and give students and alumni an advantage?

Being in BITS has opened up my avenues in ways I cannot imagine. When I joined BITS, I didn’t expect to be exposed to so many new things, and so many new people, just had an outlook to try to learn as much as I could. Even if I can’t appear cool, if I don’t know something, or if I don’t know how to talk to someone- It’s okay, they’re humans as well. I just had that approach- I would talk to people and try to see what I can give them- It’s just talking and exchanging ideas. That exposure helped me so much. The connections I’ve made then have been constant till now, and everybody’s so spread across in different fields, there’s someone pursuing music, entrepreneurship, dance, triathletes, and whatnot. The connections I made are for life for sure, and honestly even now in my career and my life, the approach to things is a lot more open-minded, that if I don’t know anything I’m sure I can figure it out!

Looking back, is there anything you wish you had known or done differently before starting your career in finance?

After every stage, I eliminated career options based on what I liked and excelled at.  I would ensure that I was conceptually sound on certain topics which is also something you can continue doing throughout your career. I would try to increase my retention for anything I do and be more present when I am on the job or task. So, even if I had to change some things, which I would not do, I would focus on these aspects.

Looking to the future, how do you envision the industry evolving in the coming years and for BITS Students what should we do right now to future-proof ourselves?

Things have become interdisciplinary now; BITS always has adopted this. A lot of physicists end up as Quants. I’ve worked with a lot of people in the industry, physicists, people with PhDs in chemistry, and whatnot. Don’t limit yourself to your degree or major: you can end up anywhere in any way. Things are so interlinked with each other that your major can be applied to any of the fields. Your major is just your expertise in one area, but the application can be in so many ways.

Read up on how you can apply to something you’re interested in, and for people in college who are about to enter the job market later on, freelance work and early insights into the industry help. Try to build your expertise in a way so that you can be marketed well.