
What degree did you study at university?
Honours in Statistics, Stellenbosch University
What is your role at Nedbank?
Quantitative Analyst Trainee.
Can you tell us why you chose this career?
I wanted to apply my numerical and statistical skills in a business setting. I wasn’t exactly certain how I wanted to do this, which is why I chose to do a graduate program.
What’s a typical day like in your job?
The first thing I do in the morning is check my emails. I then write my ‘to-do’ list for the day which entails my larger projects being broken down into smaller sections. I spend most of my day in front of the laptop, running and writing code and doing some form of analysis.
What are the some of the highlights and challenges of your role?
Nedbank’s Quants Grad Program involves rotations within the different business units in the bank. I think the fact that I get that exposure to many different people is definitely a highlight. As a trainee, we are also very involved in the running of the program and program events-which is a part of the job that I love because I love working with people and building skills. The biggest challenge is definitely COVID-19 at the moment. Working from home at the beginning of your career is quite difficult. Another challenge is knowing where to focus your energy. Everything is new and I feel there is so much I want to learn, but its important to focus on the skills necessary for the team I am currently in.
How do you keep up to date with all the changes in your profession?
You must have an attitude of constantly wanting to learn more and improve yourself. I also try to understand why we do what we do, and how we do it. Questioning everything means you are constantly looking for room for improvement.
What do you enjoy doing for fun outside of the office?
I love anything that involves the outdoors. I also absolutely adore visiting new coffee shops and cafes. On a rainy day, I can definitely be found reading a good book.