We sat down with five of our Tech Academy participants to hear about their experience learning across BAM and the advice they would give to others considering the program.
- Gavin Choy – Physics, University of Cambridge
- Jake Hracho – Computer Science, University of Notre Dame
- Tushar Bandi – Computer Science & Engineering¸ Ohio State University
- Vineet Patel – Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
- Will Smith – Management Information Systems, Rutgers University
Which projects have you found most interesting?
Will: While working with our DevOps team, I’ve created multiple automation pipelines and patched bugs in many others. This work was meaningful to me because the code base is directly used by hundreds of users, and each of these contributions created real world impact to those teams’ success and efficiency.
Gavin: I have been able to work on a crucial production system which gave me great insight into how high-performance software is architected along with the development, QA testing, and release management processes.
Tushar: Each team has given me meaningful projects that play to my strengths while building my current skills as well as introducing me to new technologies. And, most importantly, each project felt like it had a real impact.
What have you enjoyed most about the rotations?
Vineet: I loved being able to see different aspects of the firm and meet different people in different roles.
Will: It was great working across so many teams and getting an intimate understanding of how, why, and where they all work together and rely on each other.
Gavin: The rotations make the Tech Academy ideal for aspiring graduates looking for a program which provides a challenging and fast-paced learning environment with exposure to a wide range of technologies.
What opportunities have you had to learn from leaders?
Tushar: Even outside of normal company hours, I was given the opportunity to go to dinner or events with company leaders which allowed me to see how they carry themselves and how they make a welcome environment.
Vineet: It was also great to be able to talk to leadership at the firm about experiences in their careers. I feel like they have shared a lot of insight into the industry and how best to navigate it.
How would you describe the culture at BAM?
Will: The culture at BAM is one of respect, individual responsibility, and most important collaboration. Everyone at BAM, from the associates to the founders, want you to succeed and will give you the time and resources you need to learn and grow
Gavin: BAM is a friendly workplace with great teamwork. The company invests in improving your skills by providing resources for learning and developing a career. Also, I’ve loved that diversity and inclusion are important to BAM's culture.
If you were giving one piece of advice to someone considering applying to the program, what would it be?
Tushar: Reach out. If you have questions about something specific or even if you want to just learn about something new, reach out to the appropriate person. I have yet to have anyone here not respond and help.
Jake: My advice would be to not be afraid to try new things. Some of the technology you work with might be new to you, but the support systems are there for you to succeed.
