Work(ing) at Wealthfront: Melissa Chen
I grew up in Southern California in a small town in San Gabriel Valley and moved to the Bay Area to attend University of California, Berkeley, where I studied economics and minored in electrical engineering and computer science. After graduation I took an engineering job at BlackRock in San Francisco. I’ve been at Wealthfront for about a year and initially joined the company as an API engineer. About six months ago I transitioned to a backend engineer supporting our Cash Account.
What made you decide to join Wealthfront?
When I first learned about Wealthfront, I was immediately drawn to the mission of making financial advice more accessible. Learning more about Wealthfront’s products only cemented my initial intrigue, and the company was top of mind for me when I started looking for a new role. During the interview process, I learned more about the culture and teams at the company. The culture wasn’t the only thing that really resonated with me — the people were a major draw. It was clear to me that people at the company love the products and are driven by a willingness to do whatever they can to help the company succeed. The people on my interview panel were passionate and determined, and I knew they were the kind of people I wanted to work with.
This isn’t your first time working for a fintech company. What surprised you the most about working at Wealthfront?
The thing that surprised me the most is the strong tech culture at Wealthfront. Often when engineers hear “fintech,” the first question they ask is about the culture at the company. It’s usually assumed that the culture is more similar to that in finance than tech, but at Wealthfront we place a heavy emphasis on good coding practices. Our engineering organization makes up more than half of the company. We don’t have deployment cycles, we have a deployment button, and we practice test-driven development and automate everything that we reasonably can.
What has been your favorite part of Wealthfront so far?
Simply put: the people.That might be a cliché but it’s true. I am truly blessed to work with such hard-working, driven, and passionate people — honestly, it’s contagious.
What is the most valuable thing you learned at Wealthfront so far?
I’ve learned a lot since I joined Wealthfront, but I think the most valuable lesson has been how to navigate a steep learning curve. We build products that actually affect people’s money in a highly regulated industry, which comes with a lot of pressure. There’s also a lot of nuance in the code we write. Navigating those nuances isn’t always intuitive and can be daunting at first, but I’ve learned to embrace it and push harder. I have been able to really lean on my mentors and peers at Wealthfront to learn how to be resourceful and figure things out on my own.
You are actively involved in three of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Upfront (People of color), WOW (Women of Wealtfront), and Allies. Why are these groups important to you?
I know what it’s like to feel like an outsider. When I walked into my very first computer science class in college, I was very aware of how different I was from my peers. I was often the only female in the room and usually the only person in the room who wasn’t majoring in computer science. Being actively involved in ERGs at Wealthfront is my way of making sure no one at Wealthfront ever feels that way. My favorite part is being able to provide everyone at Wealthfront a safe space for open discussion about these issues. Diversity and inclusion are so important — not just at work, but everywhere. I truly believe that diversity of thought is essential to the success of any company, and supporting our D&I efforts is just one way to promote that.
What do you want the world to know about you?
I love lifting and staying in shape! I dedicate a lot of my time to improving my fitness. I know it can be intimidating for people to start so to give back, I plan to get my certification as a personal trainer this year. For people reading this who want a place to start their fitness journey or just want to compare notes, let’s talk! :)
Interested in working at Wealthfront? Check out our careers page!
Disclosure
This communication has been prepared solely for informational purposes only. Nothing in this communication should be construed as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security or a financial product. Any links provided to other server sites are offered as a matter of convenience and are not intended to imply that Wealthfront or its affiliates endorses, sponsors, promotes and/or is affiliated with the owners of or participants in those sites, or endorses any information contained on those sites, unless expressly stated otherwise.
Wealthfront offers a free software-based financial advice engine that delivers automated financial planning tools to help users achieve better outcomes. Investment management and advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser, and brokerage related products are provided by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, a member of FINRA/SIPC.
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