Devang Pandya
Barings
Why do you enjoy your job?
I do a range of tasks from overlooking client investment portfolios to quarterly client based reporting. I work closely with the finance, investment & performance teams to ensure a unit trust is being managed adequately. I’m suited to my job in view of the fact that my role requires attention to detail and analytical skills as well as being able to cope in intense environments. I picked up these skills through my interests in boxing – which taught me how to stay calm under pressure and analyse things from a different point of view and reading – this keeps me focused and sharp throughout my day.
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging aspect of my role is having to overlook my own fund as there are high quantities of deliverables for a short space of time. Keeping up with deadlines can become difficult in the sense that the more I learn, the more responsibilities I am given. I manage to abate this challenge by doing the most intense task first when starting my day.
How did you get into your job?
I started at Barings straight after I finished college. My journey getting here was a roller coaster as I was constantly rejected by many other employers.
With the help of Investment20/20, I gunned for advice and I would end up going to interviews for ‘fun’ so that I could learn the ‘game’ because I knew that receiving advice was not good enough I didn’t put it into practice and receive feedback. Investment20/20 made me aware of my potential in this industry and put me in positions where I would learn foundation skills that would give me a head start in my career.
What are your future aspirations?
My future aspirations are to get into the Fund Management side of Barings where key investment decisions are made or another firm such as a Hedge Fund. In the end, I would like to start my own business as a Hedge Fund Manager or a FinTech company depending on which areas I specialise more in the future.
How would you sum up your Investment20/20 experience?
Investment20/20 opened a door for me that nobody else could. It was a fulfilling experience as well as eye opening because it was with Investment20/20 that I found out it is not impossible to get into one of the most appealing sectors in the UK. Being able to visit various major investment management firms increased my awareness of the industry, then being given work experience enhanced it even further as I got to learn how it feels to work in the industry.
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