Joel

I have always loved to build, fix, and create. When I turned 13, I asked my parents to purchase computer parts so that I could build a computer myself. After months of failures, it finally worked, and it was then I knew I wanted to become an engineer.

I majored in both Computer Science and Economics. In my studies, I learned how innovations and new challenges in Finance were increasingly driven by technology. I was blown away by the speed of the high-frequency trading markets and simultaneously frustrated by the inefficiencies of the paper-driven student loan process. It seemed like there were both meaningful and exciting engineering opportunities in Finance.

My internship gave me the chance to experience the energy and reach of an electronic trading team. As a college student, I was looking to start my career on a team with a challenging mandate and an impactful product. My internship at Goldman Sachs provided me the fascinating opportunity to work on the Foreign Exchange Sales and Trading Technology team, helping to develop a platform that targeted the massive global currency market and was used by clients around the world. As an intern, it was exciting to be at the center of the action.

My projects are interesting and my colleagues are motivating. I’ve had the chance to learn from brilliant people and develop with a wide range of different technologies, from thin web clients to native iOS apps, and even java-based enterprise servers. In learning all of these technologies, the guidance I received from my colleagues was critical to my progress.

The open source world is an amazing resource to any aspiring engineer. My advice to those interested in stepping up their tech skills: start by looking through this month’s Github trending projects and pick a few that seem interesting. Dive deeper into them by checking out their source code and reading their docs. You’ll be surprised by how much you can learn by looking through a project’s source code. Choose projects that leverage widely-used, fundamental technologies. The tech world changes fast and you will learn many different languages over your career, so the ability to quickly pick up new skills will always put you ahead.

One aspect of engineering that excites me most is integrating the code I write with the physical world. There’s a unique sense of empowerment when your code can control a light switch or monitor a home appliance. I love DIY projects and they are even more enjoyable when integrated with software. In one project, I coupled a wifi-enabled thermostat with IFTTT to control an older central air conditioner, making it much more energy efficient and easier to control. Whether I’m improving the performance of a web app at the office or one of my household utilities, I always enjoy finding and reducing inefficiencies in the world around me.