SAS Software Engineer, Capgemini
Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is David Utulu and I studied a BSc in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. I graduated in 2020.
Why did you choose to study Economics at Royal Holloway and what did you enjoy most about your course?
I chose to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Royal Holloway because I enjoyed studying these subjects during my A Levels. I specifically liked Economics because, of the three disciplines that my degree teaches. I felt like the skills and the knowledge that Economics provided could be better applied after my university studies had concluded.
How was your personal experience of being part of the Economics community as a close-knit group of staff and students?
I enjoyed Economics as a whole, however, I really enjoyed my modules involving Financial Economics and Public Economics most of all, as these modules involved the use of programming and analysis to complete the coursework we were assigned. Such experiences have influenced the direction of my career because I enjoyed it so much.
I would say that the Economics department has a very good understanding of most of the students’ needs - which enables the close-knit feeling that students have with their teachers during their modules. I certainly felt this as I was able to go to my teachers any time I felt stuck on an Economic problem or some code that I had been writing.
I felt like I could go to such teachers, but I was also really close with a lot of my colleagues in the same department - so, a lot of the time - if I didn’t understand something, I could quickly work with another student, should I need it.
How did Royal Holloway help you to discover opportunities and prepare you for life after university?
Royal Holloway helped me discover opportunities via the resources available to students, for example, I got to learn a bit of Bloomberg Terminal coding, which was really helpful for my modules in Financial Economics and for my career after university. There was also a lot of interview classes that Economics students could take advantage of to learn how to succeed in interviews with Bulge bracket banks like JP Morgan. I also was able to secure a Research Assistant role during my university studies, which was very helpful for building the skill set needed for the career I wanted.
Tell us about your career journey since graduating and what you do now. What do you enjoy most / find most rewarding about your current role?
I managed to secure a graduate scheme as a Business Intelligence Developer before I left university. So, after university, I did that graduate scheme and it was thoroughly enjoyable to work in that capacity, as I got to develop on the technical skills I initially gained from Royal Holloway. After such training, I went on to be a contractor working in the capacity of Software Engineering - which has been very fun and exactly the kind of career I wanted to get into.
What are your top tips for students thinking about a career in your line of work/study?
If someone wanted to get into my industry, I would say that they should look out for any opportunities to learn or exercise their skills in coding languages like Python, C++, etc. I also think it is helpful to get volunteering roles in anything that involves analysis or programming. Additionally, taking advantage of programming modules in Economics would be beneficial, as well as programming opportunities in societies. Applying to graduate schemes in general also helps to get well acquainted with the recruitment process throughout your studies as well.
