Interview of ADITYA SHUKLA

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.