#fidelity associate

Imagine a room where you are faced with two challenges - high-fiving everyone in the room and making everyone happy in less than two minutes. How would you do it? The 18 young women taking part in Fidelity’s Boundless Fellowship Program first rushed around the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology’s (FCAT) ThinkSpace in Boston to high five as many people as possible. The second task was more difficult, so the women tested a few solutions, from yelling out “puppies” to “You’re all great!”

These exercises were part of FCAT’s Design Thinking Challenge to demonstrate the difference between complex and ambiguous problems, just one of many activities the Boundless Fellows participated in during their two weeks at Fidelity. That morning, they had already networked with Leap associates and learned about the intricacies of Bitcoin. Boundless Fellow, Tika N. noted, “Boundless teaches me and other young women skills that only come from hands-on experience.”

The Boundless Program, run by Fidelity’s Asset Management Talent Acquisition team, is a career discovery program for high school aged young women to explore their career possibilities in financial services, and especially at Fidelity.  While this was the first year of the Fellowship, the Boundless program launched in 2015 and hosts day-long Summits several times a year in multiple regions. The most recent Boston Summit had an incredible 122 attendees who participated in multiple challenges throughout the day, heard from a keynote speaker, learned about managing their money, and participated in a Shark Tank-style challenge.

While the Summits focus on financial services career discovery, financial literacy, and innovative thinking, the Fellowship offers a deep dive into all things Fidelity. As Fellow, Mia M. put it, “The best way I can describe it is that you learn something new every hour.” Daily activities ranged from learning about Wall Street 101 and Porter’s 5 Forces, to resume building and an interview challenge, and even participating in a Fidelity Cares event at the Greater Boston Food Bank.  In addition to daily activities, attendees also worked on a project that spanned their two weeks at Fidelity. Each group of fellows researched a company, determined whether they would recommend its stock to be bought or sold, and ultimately presented their findings to a panel of Fidelity judges including a Fidelity Portfolio Manager.

Leap is Fidelity’s iconic career program for budding technologists.

 By Srinivas Andhavarapu and Prem Paul Ninan

When Pallavi Chandrasekar stepped out of college, she was not sure what awaited her as she took the first steps into corporate life. Excited, and just a little anxious, she was eager to see her code work in a business environment.

The company was Fidelity Investments, a leading financial services provider headquartered in the US, and Pallavi had been hired in India through Leap, a program that first trains young software engineers and then launches them seamlessly into work life by exposing them to live projects six months later. Leap is a global training and development program at Fidelity, and is designed to give young graduates the leg up they need to join the corporate world and become sound IT professionals. It begins with a rich and comprehensive onboarding process, and aims to provide the graduates a soft landing into corporate life from the campus.

“It felt like an effortless transition from college to work,” Pallavi, who is from the 2017 cohort, says. “We were eased into the corporate environment, learning about various aspects of the organization and the work, at our own pace, rather than being thrown into work headfirst to figure out everything for ourselves. We also had more than enough resources and people to reach out to when we needed.”

The Leap program offers a carefully crafted technology curriculum keeping in mind the industry trends and needs of our business. The program has three main tracks—Software Engineering, Data Engineering and Systems Engineering.

Students are trained and exposed to some of the latest technologies and tools, and are provided several opportunities to apply their technical skills to live projects sponsored by business teams.

Apart from technical skills, students also receive training in professional and soft skills, and sharpen them through meaningful interactions with senior leaders.

Participants in the program are given an in-depth exposure to the business, and are provided several opportunities to showcase their creative thinking and innovative solutions to address business problems with the help of mentors in their area of interest. They also have several opportunities to collaborate with and learn from their counterparts in Fidelity’s other global regions, through platforms such as hackathons, innovation challenges and workshops.

Understanding and imbibing the culture of the firm is a pivotal component of the Leap program. The program offers several platforms for the participants to network, socialize and integrate seamlessly into the firm. Leap associates often become lifelong friends, having started this exciting and fun professional journey together. “Our bond is for life,” says Preetha R., of the 2015 cohort.

On completion of the program, the graduates are placed in full-time roles within Fidelity’s technology organization.

In 2017, the Leap program received an award from the Association of Talent Development (ATD), for its outstanding on-boarding process for entry-level talent for technologists.

‘Leapsters’, as they are called, say it best in their own words:

“As a speaker at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing — India 2017, representing Fidelity, I received support and encouragement from the senior leadership across Fidelity. Sunil Kunte, President, Fidelity India, attended my session along with other senior leaders, which was very encouraging.” — Surabhi Sharma, 2016 Cohort

“The Leap community is alive and thriving. A lot of us live together and spend time together on weekends. Celebrations and daily banter in the cafeteria are givens. The loudest and happiest cafeteria tables are Leap tables.” — Hanan Mustafa, 2016 Cohort

By Jeff, a Benefits Consulting Pension Specialist.

Growing up in a small, east Texas town, I was bullied for being gay before I even knew what being gay was. I was told that I was disgusting, vile and not worthy of respect or compassion. I taught myself how to walk, talk and carry myself so I could “fit in” as best as I could. I tried my best to not rock the boat, not draw attention to myself in any way, shape or form. Thinking back, it’s a little jarring at how my story is not unique. In fact, I would say that most people that are LGBT+ have a similar background. We all, at one point in time, have tried our best to simply be overlooked rather than be called out for being different.  Where my story becomes a bit rare is that I, unlike most of my friends and to this day my boyfriend of 7 years, had the support and absolute love from my parents. I believe whole-heartedly I would be in a different place now if I hadn’t had that support and unconditional love, to fall back on when the world got tough.

Moving to the Dallas/Fort Worth area after high school, I proceeded into my college years with extreme caution. Through finding friends and pushing myself to meet new people and try new things, I gained self-confidence and more importantly, learned to love myself the way that my parents always have.

I can remember my first day/week at Fidelity. I was terrified. All I had heard from anyone I had talked to was how much of a community atmosphere the Texas site has. While that may sound good to any one reading this, to me it was pretty intimidating. I knew that the support from my family was rare and fully expected any interactions with anyone would need to be carefully scripted. I remember the dread when the trainer, who is now a close friend of mine, was going around the room and asking each of us to tell everyone a little bit about themselves.  I don’t exactly remember what I said because all I can remember is thinking about how I sounded, my hand motions, etcetera. It was either that day or later that week that I got bold and mentioned “my boyfriend.”

I was expecting a pause, uncomfortable tension or broken eye contact when I said it. I had accepted the fact that this would forever change how I interacted with this group of individuals. Thankfully, I was only semi-correct. This did forever change how I interacted with them, in that; I FINALLY realized that I shouldn’t be ashamed. There were no pauses, the air didn’t get heavy and everyone kept listening. That one seemingly tiny interaction, I believe, changed my entire career. Over the years and moving through different groups within Fidelity, I’ve never felt that my voice needed to be subdued or that it would be better if I hid any part of my story. I think a big part of that is the leadership here at Fidelity being one of the most supportive I’ve ever seen. I strive to ensure anyone I come in contact with understands that this is a safe space where no matter what, we accept you for who you are and want you to do well in your career. Working for a company that is proud of you and pushes you to succeed is one of the best things I could have ever asked for. Here’s to being your authentic self!

Lorna Martyn talks about Fidelity’s commitment to STEM education at ISPCC Women in Tech Business Breakfast

Earlier this month, Lorna Martyn, Head of Technology for Fidelity Ireland delivered an inspiring and uplifting talk on Women in Technology and the firm’s commitment to providing STEM education for young females.

The Women in Tech Business Breakfast was held as part of a series of breakfast events to raise funds for Fidelity Ireland’s charity partner ISPCC Childline. Childline is Ireland’s only 24 hour listening service for young people and receives over 350,000 calls and texts from children in need each year.

John Church, CEO of Childline commented, “We are very grateful to everyone who hosts a breakfast and takes part – your generosity helps ensure that we are always there to listen to children, every day, and night.”

The audience also heard about Lorna’s own experiences at the event, and how a summer course in coding at an early age inspired a love of technology and a career in the industry spanning 25 years. Having been awarded with a Women in Technology Award in 2016 and being named on the Silicon Republic Women Invent 100 list this year, Lorna’s passion lies in continuing to inspire young females to embrace STEM through advocacy, inclusion and positive role models.

Fidelity’s commitment to STEM is rooted in our culture of giving back to our communities and inspiring young minds. In 2016 we jointly sponsored an educational program with Science Foundation Ireland and Junior Achievement called Futurewize. It is aimed at educating 1st and 2nd year students on the importance of STEM through 5 weeks of interactive and fun learning. The classes get a feel for how STEM subjects work in the real world and learn that there are a range of careers associated with each of the subjects.

Since its launch, 128 Fidelity volunteers have taught the program in over 40 schools nationwide. The program has reached almost 2,500 students, with a 66% female participation rate.

“Changing track mid-studies led me to the Fidelity operations graduate training programme” 

Like so many others, for a long time, I wasn’t quite sure what career I wanted to pursue in college. Having always had a keen interest in sport, I decided to pick a course in college that was going to incorporate this.  I had always thought sport was the route I wanted to go down but having liked business as a subject in school, this was the ideal combination for someone who wasn’t entirely sure what they wanted to do, so I choose to study Business & Sport Management. 

However, a serious sporting injury meant I wasn’t physically fit to take part in the practical aspects of the course.  I spent much more time on the numeric and theory modules. Though this was a tough time personally for me, the horrible experience made me realize that business was the route I wanted to go down, so I put all my focus and efforts into business studies related modules for my final year. I enjoyed the fast paced problem solving and taking part in new modules such as Strategic Implementation, Managing People & Organizational Change, Strategic Marketing, Strategic Analysis and Management Accounting.  I could finally see a clear direction for my future and what I wanted to achieve.

Deciding on the company I wanted to work for, I didn’t take lightly; I had been on quite the journey to get to that point so I wasn’t just going to settle for any job.  I did my research and knew the Financial Services Operations Graduate Programme at Fidelity was my next step.  This programme is well renowned for someone looking to start their career in financial services.  I knew I would get unrivalled exposure and in-depth training in specified operational units within the company. I am now working as part of the Cost Basis team and am still continuing to use my skills from my time studying Business & Sport Management and playing team sports.   

By Rekha Mohanakrishnan, a Manager, Software Engineer

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the event.

I was eyeing around 300 women pacing up and down, all dressed in their best formal clothes. The atmosphere was tense, yet buzzing with excitement. I could identify predominantly two groups of people—the super enthusiastic group who seemed to be emanating oodles of energy, and the calmer group who looked on with what I would call ‘poised nervousness’. I looked down at my file, verified its contents, took a deep breath and entered the venue.

If you had guessed that I was attending a recruitment drive, you are partially right. It was actually the RESUME event conducted by Fidelity India in Chennai.

How was it different?

The event was conducted to enable women on a career break to re-enter the workforce.

But why, and for what?

Why would any company want to hire women after a career break? I thought back on my own experience. Would I be able to face the likely skepticism of interviewers on my break from work experience, despite past successes in my career? Many thoughts swirled through my mind.

My apprehensions turned out to be unfounded. The fact remained that I had made several arrangements on the personal front in order to give this opportunity a chance for almost a week now—finding people to take care of my kids, making sure they were fed right, and finding backups, and their backups. After all the effort, I decided to give it my all.

I’m glad I did.  

The event was great, and the interview was super fun. I knew that I had done my best. But my jaded mind was searching for that big ‘if’ that would throw a spanner in the works. There had to be a catch somewhere. But no such thing happened.

On the contrary, the people I have networked with, both at the event and later in my teams at Fidelity, have been very understanding. They have offered me a listening ear, given me well–meaning advice from time to time, and have asked me open–ended questions to help me think through things holistically, all of which have helped me sort out my own thoughts in my mind. I have also had the opportunity to network with women who had risen up the ladder in the organization. They have been an immense inspiration to me. Some of them had taken breaks as well, for several years, but had returned even stronger than before, carving their own success ever since.

I realized one thing—the number of years of one’s career break does not necessarily count. Who would have thought this possible?

But in that case, what does actually count?

It matters how fast (and well) you are able to bounce back after the break. How excited you are to learn new things and explore new opportunities. How open you are to constructive criticism and feedback. How you build, and communicate with, YOUR network—the network that helps you grow.

What about the dreaded aspect of the equation—planning and managing your life and career? I have come to realize that this implies distinguishing what you can do (in the present) from what you want to do (in the future), and then working to bridge that gap. It could be learning a new skill, getting out of one’s comfort zone, getting help at home, and the like. And I had needed this opportunity to discern that.

Written by Emma, one of our summer Interns in Merrimack, NH. 

While many of my friends spend their summer days taking in the scenery of the beach, I have been staring at the breath-taking view of my monitor in my cube, or at least, that is what my friends think. Though this sounds dreadful to them, there is one thing they lack this summer: real-life work experience. Working as a Technical Intern for Fidelity has been so much more than just living at a desk. I have had the ability to “adult” for the summer; meeting and collaborating with individuals that have helped me grow immensely throughout this experience. 

During orientation, it was stressed to me, as well as, my peers to reach out to other employees during our time here at Fidelity. Whether it is grabbing a coffee in the Innovation Hub or getting some fresh air outside, spending time with another individual within Fidelity has helped me get a feel for what this company is all about. Listening to others describe their “Fidelity experience” through networking has been one of my favorite parts about this internship. The mentoring program offered to interns allowed me to connect with two great advisors who informed me about events such as a biweekly Breakfast with Threat Intelligence Series. They also were able to put me in contact with other individuals within Cybersecurity to help me get an idea of what area of the unit I find most appealing. Every conversation I had gave me the ability to learn through that individual’s experience. Also, I grew to find out that in life, and especially within Fidelity, you may find yourself somewhere you never expected to be, but it is up to you to make the most out of that experience. Because of the welcoming atmosphere so many employees offer here, it has been rewarding for me to connect, listen, and learn from cross-functional teams. 

Prior to my experience as an intern, I worked as a Head Lifeguard at a local pool. Having to be a leader and work with a group of people to accomplish a specific goal was a daily task for me. As a result, I thought I had mastered the skill. Coming to Fidelity and collaborating with so many different people on a day to day basis, opened my eyes to a whole new level of team work. As an intern, you not only get to collaborate with other interns from all over, but also employees. With multiple individuals on one project, I thought as an intern, I would get lost in a conference call or meeting, but at Fidelity I have learned that I can have a voice. Every meeting forces me to work on my communication skills, and advocate for myself. If I have a question, I feel comfortable asking. If there is an opposing view on a specific topic or a suggestion in a meeting, I am encouraged to speak up and deliver it. As intern at Fidelity, they do not want us to be another face here, but instead make the most of our experience by having a voice. 

Written by Ori, a Fidelity Intern.

It’s an unusually brisk Monday morning as I approach the entrance of 245 Summer Street. The sun has barely risen, yet the street behind me is packed with people frantically scrambling to get to their destinations. I press my hand onto the cool glass of the revolving door and let it linger for a second. All I can think of is how long it’s been since I’ve last worked inside an office, or even the last time I’ve worn business casual clothing. As I enter, I’m once again reminded of the pure magnificence of the lobby that greeted me on the day I interviewed months ago. The spacious lobby boasts a tall ceiling and lustrous floors. Ornate plants populate the area giving homage to Fidelity’s classic green color scheme. An impressive wooden security desk dwarfs the small glass readers that hurried employees quickly rush through. It’s a lot to take in, as I’ve never worked anywhere comparable. I make sure by belt is in place and quickly stroll towards what I could only imagine could be a group of fellow anxious interns packed in a tight group by the corner. Today was beginning of something big, I could just feel it.

That was the beginning of my Enterprise Technology internship several weeks ago. Now, I could truly see why Fidelity has been rated as one of the top ten financial services companies to work for[1] and why I value my internship experience. I’ve decided to write an essay, as I don’t believe I could truly articulate why I love interning at Fidelity through some other creative medium.

First and foremost, Fidelity’s emphasis on technology is something that adds a lot of value to my internship experience and is something to be rivaled. Working within the Enterprise Technology Group, I have a lot of exposure to Fidelity’s technology and how it impacts the organization. I never feel as if the company is out of touch or lagging behind. Fidelity’s unique emphasis on vertical integration within technology has also impressed me and made finding resources extremely easy. For example, I recently learned about robotic process automation in school and wanted to possibly learn about implementing it at Fidelity. To my surprise, I found that not only does Fidelity use robotic process automation, Fidelity even has an internal team that implements and manages it at the company. That was an awakening experience and when I truly believed in Fidelity’s emphasis on technology.

Another thing I love about my internship is that everyone is extremely caring. It didn’t take me long to realize that this culture is pushed from the top-down and permeates throughout the organization. This doesn’t just include your typical Fidelity Associates that sit in a cubicle or office. It also encompasses the employees cleaning and touching up the kitchen and bathrooms or those working in Café 245. All have a smile on their faces and will easily strike up a quick conversation (including mine detailing how the coffee is dispensed). My manager and fellow employees will always ask me if I need help or advice and are ready at a moment’s notice to lend me hand. Whenever I’ve asked a question to anyone within the company, I’ve always gotten a thoughtful and respectful response. No one has ever attempted to make me feel uncomfortable or unknowledgeable in the slightest. The company itself promotes this culture through various benefits as well. The most obvious to me are the free snacks and drinks provided to employees, but there little things to supplement that. The frequent points I gain for eating healthy food is an incentive that shows Fidelity cares about the health of its employees. Fidelity provides the use of specialized treadmills to do work, detailed walking paths around the building available online, and even a reimbursement for joining a fitness club. This aligns with my values and was very exciting to see as I am an extreme advocate of physical fitness.

At work, I’m constantly challenged and this proves to be a rewarding experience. Fidelity promotes that individuals should be comfortable being uncomfortable and this is a mantra I am in complete agreement with. How many times could have opportunities passed me by because I was too uncomfortable to tackle them? I’m glad that Fidelity encourages smart risk-taking; just enough risk to allow an individual to leave his/her comfort zone but not enough where the individual is scared to be punished or reprimanded. I’ve always told people that they will usually regret what they haven’t done rather than what they’ve done. Everyday I’m constantly challenged, whether it is learning an unfamiliar system, leading a portion of a meeting, engaging in complex projects, or my eventual presentation at the end of my internship. The truth is, I’d rather be uncomfortable engaging in those activities than in not trying at all. As human beings, we have a natural tendency to crave change and challenges that will put our minds to work. While every job will have routine tasks, I’ve found that Fidelity allows me to work on various projects simultaneously, free from micro-management. This keeps me busy while also keeping my engaged. I’ve had jobs in the past where I was always busy with routine work; this doesn’t necessarily mean I was engaged. In psychology there’s constant talk of employees being physically present, but their cubicles are referred to as, “empty,” because they are not mentally present. I don’t see that issue at Fidelity, and don’t think I’ll ever be seeing that.

So, what keeps people at Fidelity for so long? Why does everyone on my team have years of experience, with no intention of leaving? The truth is, it’s opportunity. With everyone I’ve spoken with, the same word is used over and over again. Opportunity. Employees don’t see themselves stuck in a position indefinitely, with no chance of improvement or growth. Fidelity is so vast that individuals could move vertically up the hierarchy as well as across different groups. At Fidelity the opportunities are endless. I don’t see myself as just an intern at Fidelity, I see a potential future. While I don’t know if I’ll have the fortune of working at Fidelity as a full-time employee, I do see my internship as a ten week interview and learning experience. I love coming to work each day and seeing opportunity and hope. At Fidelity, opportunity is driving most of the employees I see every day. It’s not the hope that they will rise to become some sort of senior executive. It is the opportunity to move across groups, locations, etc. if the person chooses that path. At Fidelity, I do see myself as having some control of my destiny which is not something a lot of employees at other companies can say.

There’s obviously a lot more about Fidelity I haven’t learned yet and a lot more I do hope to learn in my time here. One thing is for sure though. I think that instead of saying, “Fidelity,” I’ll begin to say, “us,” because Fidelity does truly feel like one big family. I’ll never get to know everyone, but being Fidelity Associates puts us all under the same umbrella. I hope to continue to learn on my internship and grow personally and professionally by pushing myself every day. I’m thankful for my opportunity to work here and am looking forward to the rest of my internship. Thank you!