Alum Chats with Pradeep Kankani
“My advice to students would be to enhance their communication and networking skills as they play a major role once you get out of the insti life. Don’t fall for big names and high pay if you are not at all interested in that particular field.“
“Courses like CFA & FRM get you acquainted with the jargon/ terminologies widely used in the industry Though, if there is a possibility, it is best to go for a Master’s degree or MBA. One must note that there is a mismatch between the number of applicants for these exams and job roles available. Hence, only a FRM/CFA certification may not be sufficient for someone to be distinguishable.”
- You started your career with Reliance in the Operations side. After realizing your passion in Finance, how did you pursue it?
Hailing from a non-finance/commerce background, I started networking more, which in turn helped me join Nomura. Meanwhile, I also cleared a few levels of CFA and FRM, hoping it would give me a fundamental background in general industry practice. With enriched experience from Nomura, I decided to pursue my dream of a start-up and quit my job. However, due to fewer resources, I had to bounce back to corporate life and joined the liquidity and risk management team at ICICI bank. Further, to seek exposure to the culture and knowledge at MNC, I joined the Liquidity risk methodology team at Credit Suisse. After spending close to five years in the liquidity risk domain, I moved to a different vertical of stress testing and joined the treasury modeling & analytics team at Deutsche bank.
2. How has your corporate experience been and what is your approach to career life?
I enjoyed the different roles & responsibilities given to me at ICICI bank, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche bank because these firms provide enough space to learn and express individual thoughts. I used to ask a lot of questions to my colleagues & seniors and learned a lot in the process. My curiosity and passion for knowledge made the shift easier for me. As a novice in any workspace, you must first understand your role and how it fits into the bigger picture. This will give you an opportunity to network with the right individuals and ask questions, which will be incredibly advantageous in terms of career progress and stability.
3. According to you, are exams like FRM or CFA beneficial? When and why should one decide to attempt one of these?
This topic is quite debatable and personally, I don’t seem to have an inclination for these exams, although I have passed a few levels of both of these. Such courses are useful when one belongs to a non-finance background because CFA/FRM would get them well acquainted with the jargon/ terminologies widely used in the industry. Though, if there is a possibility, it is best to go for a Master’s degree or MBA. One must note that there is a mismatch between the number of applicants for these exams and job roles available. Hence, only a FRM/CFA certification may not be sufficient for someone to be distinguishable.
4. You are now working with Deutsche Bank as an Assistant Vice President. What was the process like, and how is it going so far?
My team is primarily involved in building and maintaining models that would project the income/revenue for the next 9 quarters during the stress period defined by FED. It consists of gathering knowledge of various products/services offered by the bank and studying the impact of macroeconomic variables on income/revenue. This profile demands constant interactions with different stakeholders and managing timelines to meet regulatory requirements. This team also provides excellent work-life balance.
5. How was your insti life?
Being from a non-English background, I initially found it very challenging to interact with batchmates & seniors due to a lack of confidence in my communication skills. As an introverted person, I rarely interacted with other people and used to spend most of my time on my laptop. However, with time, I started to interact with other people and we used to play cricket & poker late at night. The most memorable time was during insti elections where we campaigned for my wingmate.
6. Have you thought of any Exit opportunities?
Exit opportunities vary from person to person based on their career plan. My exit plan would be to start my own venture. Other possible options could be higher studies or joining some start-up.
7. What advice would you give to the final year students, who will be sitting for placements very soon? Is BFSI a safe place amidst this pandemic?
My advice to students would be to enhance their communication and networking skills as they play a major role once you get out of the insti life. Ensure you figure out your interests and learn more about day-to-day work and possible future career paths for the same. Don’t fall for big names and high pay if you are not at all interested in that particular field.
