I Got Hired: Quant Developer at Bank of America

Posted on: 13 April 2023 by Samantha Riella in Graduate stories

Ben Clarke is a BSC Mathematics & Computer Science graduate now working as a Quant Developer at Bank of America.

How did you get to where you are now?

I studied a Master's in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh, then started applying for jobs in summer while writing my thesis.

What has been your best experience as part of your role?

Being at the forefront of technological advancements within the bank is exciting! Banks are heavily regulated and as a consequence are slow to progress to the state-of-the-art. Being partly responsible for this transition straight out of university is really cool.

What has been the most challenging part of your graduate journey?   

My Master's degree, the long days and full weeks and months that I had to dedicate to my degree.

What are your top tips for other students and graduates?   

• Do what you're passionate about (an obvious one), but without it completing a degree will significantly more challenging.
• Manage your time effectively, make sure you figure out the most efficient way to spend your time. Don't be afraid to leave a hard problem for the next day if you're stuck, you might even figure it out when you're going to sleep or in the shower. This is particularly applicable to subjects such as maths. And make sure you give yourself enough time to rest and socialise, spending all of your time studying is not a viable long-term strategy.
• If you're going into software engineering or a role that relates to it, practice on LeetCode or a similar website for at least a few weeks before your interview!