Placement Story: Morgan Stanley
Aastha’s Placement Experience
We spoke to Aastha Singh, a Computer Science Engineering student from the Batch of 2019. She was the president and one of the co-founders of the ACM-W Manipal Chapter. She believes her time in Manipal shaped her as a better person for the corporate world. Aastha joined Morgan Stanley at the beginning of 2019 as an intern and by doing exemplary and consistent work has risen to the role of Technology Associate. She is currently working in the Bangalore branch of the company.
Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company with its headquarters in New York City. It has offices in 42 countries spread around the world. In India, it has its offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. The company started in 1931 and has shown consistent growth, holding a good reputation in the financial world.
Interviewer: Technology today plays a pivotal role in many industries. Can you tell us what role technology plays in the finance sector?
Aastha: There are many components where technology plays a vital role in the finance industry. It is used in trading platforms for carrying out trade across the globe. It is used at the front desk by the Sales and Risk teams to carry out their jobs efficiently. It is used in managing portfolios of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNI) and other organizations. Web security is another highly important part when you work at a financial institution as we deal with highly sensitive client data.
Interviewer: How did you accommodate the shift from a technical background to the financial sector? Did the skills you learnt during engineering help you in your job profile?
Aastha: I was offered the role of Technology Analyst at Morgan Stanley which is the starting position for all entrants. My profile required that I develop software to facilitate banking at Morgan Stanley. Therefore, I was only evaluated on my computer science skills. However, there was a two-week financial domain training given to us by the company at the start of our training program. The financial domain training covered the depth and breadth of the banking and finance sector. It helped me transition comfortably into my role.
Interviewer: How helpful was your branch during placements and for your job? Can you tell us what companies value the most in one’s CV?
Aastha: My branch was very helpful during placements, as studying subjects like Data Structures, Algorithms, and Java during my time in college helped me in my preparation for placements. It is extremely helpful for my job as a Java Application developer and I use Java/ OOP/ Algorithms/ DS knowledge when I code every day. An important part of software engineering is debugging which you can only do if you have a clear understanding of the core concepts. There is no one answer to what companies value the most in a CV as it varies with different companies and interviewers. For starters, your CV must have a good mix of projects, academic performance, and some kind of certification of your skill. Shine in at least one area, be it academics, projects, or being a great competitive programmer and you will have an edge over other applicants.
Shine in at least one area, be it academics, projects, or being a great competitive programmer and you will have an edge over other applicants.
Interviewer: How does one prepare oneself mentally for the placement process?
Aastha: I would say you should go to every interview with the confidence that you will get through it. This is personally the approach I follow and a confident candidate goes a long way in the interview process. Be positive, patient, and practice well. Opportunities will always be there.
Interviewer: How was the placement process for Morgan Stanley?
Aastha: I applied for Morgan Stanley off-campus and was given a six-month spring internship. Based on my performance and an interview at the end, I was converted to a full-time employee. For the internship, I had three rounds with a heavy emphasis on Data Structures and Algorithms as well as Java and Object-Oriented Programming language. I would like to point out that Morgan Stanley gives a lot of importance to your knowledge of Java and OOP Concepts. They also ask questions related to Operating Systems and System Design. I would highly recommend applicants to read interview experiences available on sites like GeeksforGeeks.
Interviewer: What are the roles Morgan Stanley offers and in what locations?Aastha: As far as I know, Morgan Stanley visits engineering colleges only for recruiting students for the role of Technology Analyst (equivalent to SDE in tech companies). You have the option to choose between Mumbai and Bangalore. Also, they open applications for 3rd years (summer internship) and 4th years (spring internship and full-time employee).
Interviewer: What made you choose Morgan Stanley and is there anything that you would have done differently?
Aastha: While I was interning at the firm, I got a complete exposure to their work culture. I was able to meet the expectations of my employer’s and vice-versa. This made me choose Morgan Stanley as I was impressed with their culture of putting clients first and always doing the right thing. I would probably have brushed my development skills more during college as that is what we do every day in our jobs. This is in contrast to college projects which are relatively small and do not require much understanding of system architecture. Having said that, I was able to learn quickly during my internship and was able to complete my project.
Interviewer: The experience of being an intern and then becoming an Associate must be exhilarating. How was it for you?
Aastha: During my internship, I had to complete a project that was assigned to me first and foremost. Apart from that, I also had to prepare for an exit interview towards the end which would contribute about 50% in my conversion to a full-time employee. After conversion, I joined Morgan Stanley as a Technology Analyst and went for a four-month training (called the TAP Program) in Mumbai. The program was rigorous in preparing us for our roles. It is difficult for a fresher to transition into the Morgan Stanley development environment as it is highly customized. In my training program, I was given training on a vast technology stack as well as on Morgan Stanley-related business and finance.
Interviewer: How do you think your board positions in Association for Computing Machinery-Women (ACM-W) helped you in nurturing your skills?
Aastha: My time in ACM-W played an instrumental part in me getting an internship offer at Morgan Stanley. During the HR interview, I was asked about my role as President of ACM-W. They asked me many hypothetical questions testing my emotional intelligence and leadership skills. This is done to ensure that the candidate is a culturally fit candidate for the firm. ACM-W provided me with a platform where I could nurture those skills.
Interviewer: How has your time in Manipal helped you in your current career standing?
Aastha: In my opinion, the best part about my Manipal experience was the all-round development that it gave me. Not only did I polish my technical skills but also other important skills such as collaboration, leadership, and presentation.
Interviewer: Are there any tips/suggestions you would like to share with our readers?
Aastha: I would strongly suggest having a growth mindset. Once you enter an organization, college would be a closed chapter and a new chapter of challenges and opportunities will present itself.
You can connect with Aastha on LinkedIn.
Interviewer & Editor: Yash Banka (Vice President, External Relations)
Writers: Navaneeth Krishnan, Shubh Jain, Tezraj Kayshap(Associates)
