A computer science graduate from Birmingham University, Gurdev joined M&G in 2006. His role involves helping the implementation team, where his main objective is to coordinate and successfully implement tightly correlated projects into the business, working with project managers and acting as point of contact for technical service and change management teams. He also solely manages a number of smaller projects.
How did you get your current job?
I'd been personally trading in shares since college. Computer science was my forte, so this job allowed me to combine those interests. Although I don't do any coding, I still need the knowledge gained from my degree, as I have to identify and mitigate risks; having a technical understanding helps me pre-empt them and build them into project plans.
Why do you like financial services?
I love the pace. Things change quickly; you need to stay up to date with what's happening, especially regulatory issues. I also like seeing how financial markets interact with and influence the rest of the economy. To play a part in all that is fantastic.
What do you like about project management?
It's all about seeing things through from start to finish. I'm involved in the initial project brief, and I'm still there when it materialises as a real-life working application that reduces the effort required by people or processes, or saves us money. That's really rewarding.
What skills are needed to do well?
Communication is critical. You're dealing with projects involving significant sums of money. Everything must be watertight – from the written reports, through the way you walk people through the roll-out stages of a project, to setting criteria for post-implementation, end-user sign-off testing.
Gurdev's tips
- Think about the role you want – it's such a vast arena and there are so many paths – support, development, testing and project management are just a few.
- Know what each potential employer does and how it fits in with the rest of the financial sector – and understand how the FSA works, as it will impact on much of your work.
- Network with as many people as possible – get out and about, stay enthusiastic and take on as much as you can. But don't forget, you also have to have a social life.
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