Benie Mambouana of Fidelity Investments talks about his introduction to the world of fintech and shares some advice for tech graduates.
One of the most exciting parts of the tech industry is how early-stage professionals can start out on one path only to discover a whole new area they want to explore.
That’s what happened to Benie Mambouana, who took a four-year bachelor’s degree in game design and development at Limerick IT, now known as the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS). She now works as an assistant software engineer at Fidelity Investments.
“I had never heard of fintech until I did a six-month placement at a small fintech startup in Madrid,” she told SiliconRepublic.com.
“That’s when I realized that I no longer wanted to pursue a career in the gaming industry. I knew that I still wanted to have a career in information technology, so I started focusing on becoming a software engineer. I soon managed to land a great opportunity with Fidelity Investments. That was my full-circle moment.”
Mambouana said she chose the technology industry because of its continuous learning opportunities. “I like change and can get bored easily. This is the aspect of the industry that appeals to me the most, she said.
“One of the things that stood out to me about Fidelity is the learning days. Fidelity believes in continuous learning and has a learning day once a week to give employees an opportunity to develop their skills to advance their careers.”
“In this field, I think it is essential to have an open mind”
– BENIE MAMBOUANA
With Fidelity Investments’ graduate program, are you now working in the type of job you wanted?
Surely! One of the wonderful things about the LEAP immersive technology graduate program was the weekly meetings I had with my supervisor to discuss my interests and what areas I would be interested in pursuing.
My manager would keep track of this information to make sure I was placed in the most appropriate role after I completed the program.
I didn’t make it easy for her as I kept changing my mind as the program progressed. But that’s what the LEAP program is all about. When you start it, you may have a specific career path in mind which may change once your training is complete.
Can you describe a typical day in your role?
At 8:30 I usually start my day by logging in, checking my emails and looking at my schedule for the day. At 9.30am my team uses the agile methodology and we have a 15 minute daily scrum meeting to discuss things like what we did the day before, what challenges someone is facing and how we can possibly overcome those issues.
Starting at. 10am to 12pm I usually write a list of my to-dos for the day and work on my tasks until lunchtime. We work in two-week intervals called sprints. I use the two weeks to get my tasks done and at the end of each sprint we have sprint planning where I am assigned new tasks from our backlog.
After lunch, my team has a daily catch-up meeting. This allows us to discuss any obstacles we face in more detail than the scrum meeting would allow. It also gives us the opportunity to peer review our work.
From 14:00 to 17:00 I continue to work on my assignments or attend meetings scheduled for the afternoon.
No two days are the same in my role. Sometimes I’m on Zoom calls with my colleagues from the US, and other times I might be in the office during a teamconnect week.
Did your responsibilities and workload change as the program progressed?
Since completing the LEAP program, I have taken the skills I learned and started applying them in my role. I also made my team aware of my skills after I joined so that my workload would match my skills.
This has helped me tremendously because my tasks have steadily increased in difficulty based on the new skills I gain. Everyone on my team has a more senior role than me, so I get the opportunity to learn from them on a daily basis.
Did the master’s study prepare you for working life?
Besides technical skills, one of the most important skills I have improved during the program is how to work well with others.
Given that the new norm is now working from home, it is essential to have good collaboration skills as well as communication skills.
Would you recommend the graduate program at Fidelity Investments to others?
This program helped me shed light on any initial anxiety I had about starting my career. The industry is so huge, and sometimes you can’t help but feel like you’re going to be thrown in at the deep end when you start a new job.
The LEAP program is perfect because you start it with a group of other graduates who are all in the same boat as you. Your mind is at ease from day one.
I would highly recommend the LEAP program as I have learned so much and met some amazing people I can call my friends.
Is there any advice you would give to future graduates just starting out?
If you’re just starting out, try working on a variety of problems. This will help you determine your interests and abilities. In this field, I think it is essential to have an open mind; what you can enjoy now may change in the future.
Last but not least, don’t let your pride stop you from learning from others. Otherwise, you will hold yourself back from achieving your full potential.
10 things you need to know straight to your inbox every weekday. sign up Daily cardSilicon Republic’s digest of important science news.
