Introduction
When Deepshikha was deciding on post-graduate careers, she knew one thing for certain: Whatever position she selected had to be in New York City.
After moving from India to attend graduate school in upstate New York, Deepshikha easily adjusted to life in a college town, but the City had always beckoned. She made a point of only looking at positions that would enable her to start a professional life in the Big Apple, which, in her words, was “the center of everything.”
While researching careers at Morgan Stanley, Deepshikha read the People section of the firm’s website. Duly impressed by the accomplishments and diversity of those profiled, she decided to attend an information session about Morgan Stanley’s technology opportunities. After submitting an application and going through a series of interviews, Deepshikha was offered an internship in the firm’s Equity Derivatives division in 2015, after which she returned full-time to the firm in February, 2016. Now a regular presence on Morgan Stanley’s trading floor, Deepshikha manages a portfolio of applications that support the firm’s equity trading functions.
Deepshikha has a BS in engineering from Rajiv Gandhi Technological University, Madhya Pradesh, India, and an MS in computer science from The State University of New York at Binghamton.
How did your internship prepare you for a full-time position here?
Interning at the firm showed me how technology is embedded in the daily activities of a global investment bank such as Morgan Stanley. In my current role, I not only see the traders in action, but also the systems that we build and maintain that allow them to do their jobs. As an intern, I tried to be a sponge—to absorb as much as possible about the business and become more adept at multitasking, a necessity in a nonstop environment. Often, just by careful observation, I learned about the infrastructure of the technology, how it all fits together and how its intricate components need to operate for the entire platform to run seamlessly.
What do you love most about your position?
Definitely the challenges that I encounter. They make me use what I’ve learned in school and on the job, while providing me with opportunities to really stretch myself as a technologist. One good example of that is my work on a long-term initiative where we are developing a high-level dashboard that will allow us to monitor global sales and trading processes and immediately take action if there’s a problem in the equity trading systems. I relish the opportunity to prove myself and be recognized as someone who can set the tone for the project’s success.
I also love the opportunities for different types of work on our systems. In the future, I would love to do more work in the front-end design and user experience of our products. There’s a programming language called Angular that is widely used in dashboard design—I’d love to become more proficient in that.
Finally, I get real satisfaction mentoring students through the firm’s volunteer opportunities. This past summer, I participated in the firm’s Girls Who Code immersion program and helped my mentee with her weekly assignments. We also talked about her upcoming college search and potential career options. She wants to be a physicist, so I have high hopes for her.
What attracted you to engineering, and ultimately, to computer science?
Growing up, I always loved to tinker with things, to see how gadgets worked. I had an affinity for math and science in primary school, so I ended up on that track in high school and college. What’s funny is that I actually don’t come from a family of technologists—my parents run a home-furnishings business, and I often have to describe my work in very basic details to give them a sense of what I do.
Does your love of technology transfer to some of your outside interests?
I love music, and I’m an aspiring disk jockey. I enjoy listening to all types of music, but I‘m also interested in the production and mixing side. So when I’m not listening to R&B, electronic dance music, or hip-hop, I’m learning about the technology to create sets and produce tracks. I’ve taken introductory classes in music production while supplementing that with watching videos and experimenting with my own turntable.
Have you found mentors at Morgan Stanley? How have they shaped your experience here?
Katherine Wetmur, who runs Quality Assurance and Production Management for the Enterprise Technology & Risk Division, is a great role model. She is a talented computer scientist and powerful advocate for women in technology, both in and outside Morgan Stanley. She nominated me for Morgan Stanley’s DRIVEN to Leadership initiative, a four-month certification program aimed at rising talent at the firm. It teaches leadership skills, not only in the workplace but also in an overall mindset, such that it becomes part of your everyday perspective.
Katherine also nominated me to be part of our delegation to this year’s Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing, an annual conference for female technologists. In general, I love talking to firm candidates about how our digital infrastructure is the backbone of the business and, as a result, how our technologists are critical to our success and innovation. When I have these conversations, I feel like I’m passing a baton that Katherine handed to me; now it’s my turn to inspire future female computer scientists by introducing them to Morgan Stanley.
