This Women’s Month, QuantifyYourFuture reached out to women in quants careers for advice on building your career as a quant. In this profile, we ask Thloni Mhango, Executive Assistant to the COO at the FirstRand Group for advice on building your career.
On studying Mathematics
Thloni completed a BSc in Computational and Applied Mathematics (CAM) at Wits in 2012, followed by an Honours and Masters in Operations Research at Stellenbosch University.
She originally intended to study Actuarial Science, but a chance encounter with a lecturer convinced her to broaden her undergrad. “He pointed out that the equations that everybody else uses – actuaries, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers – all come from pure mathematics and are various disciplines in applied mathematics,” she says. “He said: ‘If you join CAM, you’ll be able to work with all these different types of mathematicians because you will be exposed to the formulas and methodologies they all use.’ And I liked the idea of having a foundation that could apply to any industry and any challenge.”
On a male-dominated environment
“There is this perception that, as a woman in a male-dominated field, you need to behave in a more masculine way but that only works if it’s in your nature. It serves you better to bring your authentic self to the space. So, if you’re soft-spoken for example, embrace that. Yes, you need to be assertive and stand up for yourself but trying to be someone you’re not at work is unsustainable. I’m soft-spoken, and I’ve found that, actually, people pay more attention when I speak because they know that I also listen.”
On choosing the right opportunities
“You’ll often see the word ‘analyst’ in job titles, but this doesn’t always mean the role is quantitative,” Thloni warns. “Do some research into the type of work you’re likely to do before accepting a role. When you’re looking for your first job, look for roles that ask for a science degree and that specifically mention quantitative analysis. The role should mention statistical or mathematical modelling – terms you will recognise from varsity.”.