Sara Wechter’s Post

I'm happy to announce my 6-month Anniversary since joining Citibank! Here's 5 of my best insights so far: 1. The Economic Utility of Derivatives and the range of firms that use them. Derivatives reallocate risk from hedgers to speculators. Any firm can exploit the derivatives markets to hedge against the risk of increasing costs. Derivatives allow you to focus on your business plan and predict future cash flows with much greater effect. For example: Crude Oil futures helped save European airlines €5 Billion after prices spiked in 2022. I never realised before just how large the derivatives market was and how many firms used them. 2. The extent to which reconciliations are essential in investment banks and financial cooperations. I hadn't previously considered this but in order to guarantee the legitimacy of our books and records, both for house and external clients, we must reconcile both cash and non-cash transactions. Interest payments, exchange fees, futures' value and expiration dates and all margin collateral to name a few. 3. Excuses and Responsibility In school you get much more support, in real life it's up to you. If your manager asks you to do something you have to set a reminder and can't just show up empty handed. You must check weather for tomorrow to see if you'll need more time for your commute and a million other considerations. Ultimately you can always make an excuse, the goal is to not need to make any in the first place. 4. Excel and other Office applications. You use it every day and the only way to learn is experience with real data. After a while it just comes naturally and I'm devoting time to learn Power Queries in order to increase my processing speeds for the future. 5. Working in a large institution. Something that internships can't give you. I've developed a feel for working in the bank which I believe will help me overcome and integrate easier to wherever I end up in the future. Also, I am learning to work in my team and overcome any fears of asking questions. I'm very happy with Citi so far and am excited to continue challenging and improving its processes. [Pictured: Citigroup Belfast Cooperate Offices, my workplace]

40 years ago, on 4th September 1984, I started at Barclays, Altrincham. After working across the country for many years, in too many roles to mention, I have ended up back in Manchester. So what have I learned in 40 years? 1. You learn more from your mistakes, than your successes. And I have had plenty. But that is where I have learned the most. It’s all about the ‘scars on your back’. 2. Concentrate on what you are good at. For years I have had different development plans looking at where I can improve. It was a waste of time. Spend your time trying to be great at something. Anything. 3. What ever your role, be enthusiastic and infectious. If your job is about producing data, talking to clients or giving presentations. Be memorable, be different. 40 years goes quickly. Enjoy it.

It's been a decade since I accepted my first job as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. I still remember every little piece about this, right from getting my offer letter, to stepping into the office for the first time; it all seemed like the perfect job. But here are a few things I wish I had told my earlier self: 1. Your job is not your life: My work at GS was everything. My weekends were spent sleeping off the all the time I wouldn't get to sleep on weekdays. 2. Don't be afraid of the unknown: Quitting GS was one of the scariest things for me. I didn't know what to do next. I didn't even know about the startup ecosystem, or if I was good enough to ever be employed again. 3. Never stop exploring: My job at GS was nothing close to what I do now. And this came from years of learning, upskilling, being uncomfortable not knowing something, having tough conversations. Just keep learning. I am nowhere close to being "sorted" in life, but when I look back, 21-year-old-me would be happy I took the risks, learnt what I learnt, and never stopped figuring out life, and I suppose that's what's important 🙂

opportunity

I am thrilled to have joined as a Process Lead Payments Investigation Intern at NatWest Group (Royal Bank of Scotland-RBS). Joining this incredible team of Payments CoE at #Chennai is a real opportunity to learn and contribute. From Punit Sood's L&D session, I understood the three pillars of Enterprise, Learning, and the importance of Climate change and Sustainability. The ice-breaking session among the new interns helped us get to know each other better. #NatWest (RBS) is a customer-centric bank with a digital focus. Understanding the history of this bank helped me to comprehend the strategy shifts over the years. The purpose is to champion #potential and help people, families, and businesses thrive, ultimately making it a customer service bank. I want to thank Kanwal Kaul - KK for the motivating session. Vedha, Supreeya Swaroop Bhandari, and Srishti Sharma for the smooth onboarding. I am excited to work with my line manager, Nirmala Umapathy, Christy Arul Jeyaraj, and Sheeba, on the new project. I strive to embody the core values of Inclusive, Curious, Robust, Sustainable, and Ambitious. #Internship #Natwest #RBS #learning #IIM #IIMKashipur #MBA #digital #inclusive #curious #robust #sustainable #ambititious #Analytics

Hello Everyone, I finally have an opportunity to announce how thrilled I am to complete my one year at my first corporate job at Barclays. This is first of many happy milestones. This journey has been phenomenal and full of many unanticipated variables Well, all the peaks and valleys lead to my personal as well as professional growth in various aspects.   It was a challenging environment I have been into from the past one year but fortunately all that gave me chance to push my limits and evolve. This one year has proved nothing but a basket full of opportunities which helped me in gaining various Technical as well as Interpersonal Skills, particularly Collaboration and Responsibility, kudos to my wonderful managers and colleagues.   Based on my experience as a fresher I would like to share my experience and tips to kickstart the corporate career.   1.     Come with an open mind – Being open-minded signifies keeping an open mind to new concepts and experiences. You never know what new you will have to face, what new learnings you might get just in a moment. Keeping an open mind is useful to open the gates for various opportunities that will challenge your beliefs and you will be willing to make compromises out of your comfort zone. 2.     Embrace who you are- Stop rejecting, accept and embrace yourself. All you need to do is know who you are and what you are capable of. Being yourself does not require you to be a certain way. But always keep room for improvement to get better every day. You lose all motivation, all emotional support, and all rational justification for your growth if you go against that notion. 3.     Networking- Your first job is all about making new relationships and fostering existing ones. Reach out to senior leaders, they are always ready to talk about new strategies and eager to listen the innovative ideas. Attend networking events which will help you in Knowledge sharing and Career Advancement. 4.     Do not put so much pressure on yourself- Back to the first point to come with an open mind but do not put too much pressure on yourself, it is just the start. It is important to understand that you can deal with the pressure in a healthy way by setting boundaries, delegating tasks etc.     Would like to thank you everyone who has been a part of this incredible journey, specially for making me feel like home in a new city. Looking ahead I am excited to continue this journey of growth and explore opportunities to excel in my career. BarclaysBarclays in IndiaBarclays Investment Bank

I felt trapped by a successful career at Goldman Sachs. Then, I decided to quit. Since high school, I had aspired to be an investment banker. One of the first things I did at Georgetown University was apply to work as a teller for the entirely student run credit union. A lot of credit union alumni went on to Wall Street. Sure enough, a few years later I landed an internship and later a full time job at Goldman Sachs. And, I (mostly) loved it. - A great culture - Fast track promotions - Working with really smart people - Compensation growing at 200% per year - Was told "sky is the limit" for a career path But, the problem was... I had an itch. I had a dream to start a company. I liked the idea of building something. Creating it from the ground up. Growing a team. Bringing a new product to the world. I liked the idea of working for myself -- the freedom, autonomy, and radical self-responsibility. Quitting a high trajectory career at a top investment bank at age 26? Most of the people said I was CRAZY. And, when I made a pro/con list, it supported the conclusion that I was crazy. But, here's the thing... More than anything, I wanted to follow my dream because I thought it would make me happy. I saw the chance to try and create something great. And, I refused to let it pass. I was nervous: - Would I run out of money? - Was it a good enough idea? - Could I actually make it happen? - Did I have what it takes to be a CEO? - What if it failed? What would I do then? - Am I throwing away an amazing career? And then a wise mentor asked a simple question: "When you look back on your life in 50-years, will you be happy that you ran after your dream?" The answer was an instant YES. In that moment, I found the courage to throw aside the golden handcuffs of a world class job... And decided to follow my dream. It happened to turn out well. We build a great team and they helped us build a $125-million company. But, even if it hadn't... I would have regretted not trying. So, here's my advice: life is too short NOT to chase your dream. There will be 100 reasons to say no. But you only need one good reason to say yes. In my coaching practice, I help successful achievers get out of their own way and follow their dreams. And, in doing so, unlock a new level of happiness. ______ ✍️ What dream are you NOT chasing? 🗨️ DM if you're ready to follow your heart. 🌐 Learn more www.chrisvillar.com Hi, I'm Chris. I'm a founder turned coach. I help successful high achievers unlock abiding happiness.

"Goldman Sachs continues to invest in talent by welcoming a new class of analysts and associates, many of whom started their careers as campus hires. This long-term commitment to developing talent is commendable and demonstrates the firm's dedication to serving clients with excellence. Excited to see what the future holds for these new additions! #GoldmanSachs #talentdevelopment #clientexcellence"

🚀 Unlock Your Career Potential at #Barclays! Join me and some of my stakeholders as we look at a day in the life of a #product and #proposition manager at Barclays and learn about #career #journeys 📅 April 18th, 14:30 BST Discover the path to becoming a Product & Proposition Manager. Engage with our team, learn key skills, and get further insights. Don't miss this chance to start the blossoming of your career! #Webinar