Anushka Joshi is a Business Development Executive for London Stock Exchange Group. She's coming to October IT's not just for the boys!

Two years ago I graduated with a masters in chemistry from the university of Warwick. I am now a Technology Product Manager at London Stock Exchange Group. 

I am frequently asked the following two questions: 
1. Why did I switch from chemistry to financial services/technology?
2. What made me choose LSEG?

Let us begin by tackling the latter. Why LSEG: first and foremost, the brand sells itself. If I was to attempt to make sense of this vast and ever evolving financial landscape we operate in, this was the place to do it. I like to be in the heart of the action, and at LSEG you most definitely are. 

Next, we shall address (1). It was time for a change of scenery after several years working in a chemical laboratory, and the highly topical nature of financial services was very appealing. I am naturally inclined towards logic, reasoning and problem solving, and this paired with my growing interest in the economy fostered the transition away from chemistry. We no longer see the same levels of correlation between fields of academic interest and career path. With this in mind, many recruiters seek aptitude over knowledge, and genuine interest over the conventional discipline (this is not to make light of those formidable candidates whom possess all of the above). 

I joined LSEG, and perhaps unsurprisingly, found that my skills and interests were well suited for a role in technology. I am a scientist. I fundamentally like knowing how things work, and finding the solution. I now work on connectivity (fibres, IP addressing, global hubs and network infrastructure etc) and on a wide range of technology projects on a global and client facing scale. I not only have the stimulus of data analysis, problem solving and learning new technologies, I do client facing work, financials and legal and regulatory analysis. 

It is promising to see increasing numbers of women in technology. Without casting too far back in memory, I recall the iconic picture of women celebrating the Mars mission in India. Obama has recently appointed a new CTO. A woman. Whilst jobs in technology are not necessarily at the forefront of people’s concept of a career in financial services, their relevancy is undeniable. The calamitous IPO of Facebook in 2012. The hacking scandals which fill our media. The flash crash of 2010 which saw $1 trillion of shareholder equity wiped in minutes. Technology is front and centre, and that’s where I want to be..