Interview of :
ADITYA SHUKLA
CGPA: 9.17
Company: D.E
Shaw & Co.
(Mr.
Shukla received a PPO)
Position: Financial
Analyst
CTC Offered: 10.55
LPA
1. Let’s begin with your ‘dream run’,
please elaborate on your experience of the SIP recruitment process for DE SHAW,
starting from the PPT’s till the Short Listing.
After
the completion of my semester 1, when I was planning for internship; D.E Shaw
& Co was always on my target list. During the month of November, just after
the Semester 1 results, company visited the campus for SIP placements and I was
shortlisted to sit for the process based on the CGPA requirement of 7.5.
Process included a group discussion followed by two rounds of interviews. GD
was for approximately 20 minutes and interviews totally took about an hour.
Also, as for content is concerned GD was on a macroeconomic topic and
interviews were totally related to financial management concepts and economic
(also some part of general awareness).
2. Please describe the work profile
offered. What duties are you expected to perform?
So,
while working as an intern, I was working
in the financial accounting and reporting team of Financial Operations group at
D.E Shaw & Co. We were basically involved in reporting the investments
and returns generated on the investments on the books of accounts both at
portfolio level and then at corporate level. The numbers were sent out to the
management and also to internal auditors. It helped us understand how the funds
move from investors to D.E Shaw & Co, then to the different investment
opportunities and finally how those returns once generated are passed on back to
investors (or clients) to D.E Shaw. This is also the way in which funds flow in
any hedge fund, which works on master feeder accounting structures (in reality
90 to 95% of hedge funds work on this master feeder accounting structure). Now,
also after I join for full time employment, I will be involved as financial analyst at one of the teams related to
either pricing models or treasury or trade accounting and operations etc
depending upon the requirement at the time I join the firm.
3.
Are you satisfied with your placement package and profile?
Yes I am satisfied with it as after
spending three months at DE Shaw, I realized that each day there was lot of
things that I learnt new and there are so many things which I can look forward
to when I shall join the company on the full time employment. The brand name of D.E Shaw & Co. and also
the kind of work that people are involved in will help me achieve my long term
goal of making an entry in financial consulting. Not to mention the kind of
people that I used to come across with each was a great learning experience too
and am looking forward to work with those people again.
4.
What and where did you do your SIP from? How do you think it helped you in
getting placed?
I did
my internship at D.E Shaw & Co at
Hyderabad itself. I got a pre placement offer form the same company, so as far
helping me is concerned, I think I was able to showcase my potential during
those three months of internship and prove myself to be worthy enough of full
time employment at a place like D.E Shaw & Co.
5. Who has been your favorite
professor and why?
My
favorite professor has been Prof. Jojo
Mathew George. I like his comprehensive approach toward problem solving. He
has taught me more than just theoretical classroom concepts (which I bet he is
master in). He is someone whom I aspire to be in terms of executing the task at
hand. I would always be thankful to him for his contribution.
6.
What was the edge you believe you had over others who had applied for
placement?
I think
there are two reasons for that:
Firstly,
I believe during the process since I was able to prove that I had better knowledge in Financial Risk Management
than others during that time. This worked because D.E Shaw & Co. is a hedge
fund and concepts on risk and trading strategy makes a lot of sense to such a company.
This is something I specifically worked upon in order to create a more
person-job fit and make me a more rational decision to be hired than anyone
else.
Secondly,
my work experience at Infosys
Technologies before joining here for MBA, gave me opportunities wherein I
was able to showcase my potential of taking responsibilities and executing them
in an effective manner. That was appreciated by Infosys few awards and
appreciations; which in turn I used to leverage in order to highlight myself in
comparison to others to be a potential hire for recruiters from D.E Shaw &
Co.
7. Is there anything you think you should’ve
done differently during your time at IBS?
I think
I should have spent more time building
up on my concepts. I believe theoretical knowledge is so important and is
like a foundation for you to build on when we get into real work life. Specially,
I have come across a lot of marketing students who feel that you do not learn
marketing from books, which I believe is the most absurd thought. Theories build foundations on which you
lay your thoughts brick by brick as we learn during the work life to create
something that is monumental. But one needs to have his foundations strong. I
should have spent more time putting in efforts for academic pursuit.
8. What advice would you like to give
to the juniors who are sitting for SIPs this semester and would be getting placed
next year?
I would
only say that take internship seriously
specially for people who are fresh out of their graduation colleges and here at
IBS, Hyd. It is the first time when you are exposed to work life and many self
created thoughts about office life is broken. Be open to learning and as SIP is one time when you will not be as
busy, use that time to make sure that if you have missed or are not sure of
certain concepts of semester 1 and 2, brush them up. Because before you realize
semester 3 will pass and there will be lot of companies lined up. You might not
have that much time to brush on semester 1 and 2 concepts as you will be
involved with semester 3 classes and cases (not to forget the tests in
between).
Last
but not the least, read newspapers and
magazines. They really help and this cannot be done in a week. It requires
continuous effort over a period of time. It might take just half an hour each
day but it will go a long way in your interactions during GD(s) and interviews.
9. Would you like to see any
improvements at IBS?
There
are of course few. However, something that I feel which is most important and
critical right now is for management to
figure out how to retain good faculty and attract more faculty from outside.
Few years ago, IBS had core competency related to faculty in finance and
strategy. But we have been losing out on them. This is not a good indication
for long term sustenance. I think some major steps should be taken in order to
make sure that this trend of good faculties leaving our college could be
reversed.
10. On a more personal note, whom did
you call first after your placement was confirmed?
My parents, they
are the ones who matter the most to me. The evening I was expecting a call from
D.E Shaw & Co. concerning my result, I can imagine how my parents had been
waiting to hear from me the news (whether good or bad). So, I had to call them
to let them know that it is because of them.
