Max Khavin '97
Hi, my name is Max Khavin, and I work as a Senior Programmer Analyst at Goldman Sachs. I got my B.S. in ’97, and my M.E. in ’98 - both in Computer Science.
When I was graduating, I knew that I wanted to work for Goldman. Why? Well, there were a few reasons. First, Goldman Sachs is considered to be one of the top investment banks, and its reputation was important to me. Second, it is a place of learning and career opportunities for a young professional. Third, I found that it provided me with a vibrant and challenging workplace. Working at a place like Goldman, you can expect to be gaining a good understanding of the business you are working for, and it helps if you like working under pressure.
From my experience here at Goldman Sachs, I also learned that Wall Street offers a variety of jobs, and, as with everything, there are certain drawbacks as well as benefits to each job. For example, some jobs may not give you a chance to work with leading-edge technology, or do CS-related research.
I first came to Goldman in ’96 as a summer intern, and then re-joined full time in ’98. I work for a group called "Volatility Trading", and we are a part of the technology group behind the Equity Derivates trading desk. For those of you who are not familiar with finance, derivatives are financial products, whose value is computed using often complex mathematical formulae. My job is very demanding, both in terms of the understanding of the business, and in terms of being able to apply the right technologies to help this business. Over the course of about three years that I have been here, I used C/C++, Java, Perl, and other languages, in both UNIX and NT environments. I worked on designing new systems from "ground-zero", as well as revamping and supporting old systems. I had opportunities to travel and even lived in London for a few months.
That said, perhaps the most rewarding aspect of my job is human interaction. One of the biggest challenges that we face is our ability to interpret what the user wants, and how we can best accommodate his or her needs. However, this also carries with it the reward of being able to see your program at work first-hand, and, hopefully, see how it can translate into more revenue for your firm.
I really like what I do. Almost any job on Wall Street is a mix of development, support, and human interaction, and I like the variety of challenges that I am faced with every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line (max.khavin@gs.com).
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