Jiachen is helping traders to better understand their portfolios’ risk and PnL

Quantitative Credit Desk Strategist Jiachen joined Deutsche Bank because she wanted to combine a curiosity of financial markets with a love of numbers. She now works in our Strategic and Analytics group – but like most new-starters during the pandemic, her route into her current role was a little different to the norm.

Jiachen joined the Deutsche Bank Summer Internship programme in 2020 after seeing an advert on the Stanford University Careers Service website. And although the programme was cut short due to the pandemic, she still had time to assist with three impressive projects – two of which were quantitative, and one on the future of banking.

“During the internship, I wrote an algorithm to provide optimal bids and ask quotes under some risk limits. It helped me understand what traders look at day-to-day and the requirements for making and understanding risk.”

Embracing a new, hybrid way of working

With her internship unfortunately cut short, Jiachen was unable to carry out the rotations you’d usually expect on these courses, and she couldn’t attend in-person events either. So, after a period of working from home when she joined us full-time, she’s now making the most of office working at least three times a week.

“I enjoy going to the office to meet colleagues. And hybrid working feels very seamless. It’s great to collaborate in person and have time at home to focus on individual projects, while still having the ability to collaborate online.”

It’s this collaboration that has been the best, and most refreshing, aspect of working at Deutsche Bank for Jiachen so far.

“I work on big projects involving colleagues across multiple teams. Everyone is approachable and helpful, which really helps us hit project deadlines on time. And during my training, I met interns from different parts of the bank, which will help with future project collaborations, too.”

Always learning

Jiachen says she wants to be an expert in her current area, and someone reliable for others to turn to. As a mathematics graduate of both UCLA and Stanford, she has found there’s even more to learn at Deutsche Bank.

So far, she’s undertaken a variety of training topics in tech and personal skills and feels she’s particularly improved her communication, quantitative and programming skills. “I talk to lots of stakeholders and I’m working on much bigger projects, so I have had to learn to write code on a larger system and collaborate with more people.”

Chat, reach out, ask questions

Jiachen naturally enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures. For her, Deutsche Bank’s ‘Coffee chat with a colleague’ was particularly appealing. So far, she’s matched and chatted with people in Florida, New York, and London.

Luckily, the open environment means it’s easy to make connections during the programme – something which Jiachen advises making the most of.

“If you’re considering applying to Deutsche Bank after the internship, be proactive. If you’re interested in something, reach out to the relevant person to find out more – and to get an idea of the positions available in different divisions. Deutsche Bank has a buddy system in place to help you get settled in, and I also received a lot of one-to-one support from my manager.”