Richard Carson, global head of global equity derivatives, Deutsche Bank

I studied maths at university and became aware of the possibilities of finance when a fellow student told me about his internship. It was exciting to discover roles in finance where mathematicians could make a genuine difference to the business.

Getting into banking

I decided to do a doctorate and then move into finance – but at the last moment my course funding fell through and I ended up unemployed after graduation. I sought out a tutor who specialised in financial mathematics and ended up having a two hour tutorial on the subject before doing a lot of research. Normally banks recruit graduates in the autumn of their final year, but I was applying for jobs in the summer – completely out of cycle. Luckily, after sending out numerous applications, I got two interviews and was offered a job after the first! All of the preparation I’d done had finally paid off.

From maths to MD

My first job was as a mathematician – people who work on the quantitative side are sometimes known as ‘quants’. I spent a huge amount of time reading up on the topic and learning about banking. The key thing I realised was that I would have to throw myself into work with the same energy that I’d devoted to studying for finals. Three years later, I moved into trading. Banking really is a meritocracy. Personally I love that and have done well from it; I was made an MD after nine years. There are always new challenges and being judged on your ability really gives an incentive to succeed.

Strong foundations

The foundations that I developed during my first three years have been invaluable throughout my career. I still lean on those experiences and would definitely say that the stronger your foundations are, the better you will function ten or twelve years later. It’s important to have an enquiring mind and ask questions in order to gain an overall understanding.

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