Recently, we spoke with Kritika about her experiences in the Graduate Programme at Berenberg, her fascinating career journey from medicine to finance and how her medical background continues to enrich her along the way.
What do you love about your graduate programme?
I think the graduate program is perfectly set up for establishing a solid foundation for your career. The breadth of rotations mean you really get to understand the different areas of the bank, what they do and how they cooperate. The size of Berenberg also means you get to meet and work with many different people as you rotate through which is unique.
What do you enjoy most about working at Berenberg? Why did you choose Berenberg for your graduate programme?
I love the community feel at Berenberg. I’ve heard that at other banks, it’s common for juniors to feel anonymous. At Berenberg, seniors make a concerted effort to get to know and make you feel welcome. The culture is really special.
What skills, characteristics or behaviours have helped you thrive in your role?
Growth mindset, curiosity, desire to upskill, communication and adaptability to different environments/teams. I think the willingness to learn has been most important; one of my favourite things about Berenberg is that people come from an array of different backgrounds and colleagues are very supportive in helping you learn and develop if you show a desire to.
What has been your most memorable experience at Berenberg so far?
Beren-Bingo! There are monthly social events, and larger events like Beren-Bingo several times a year. The turnout is always strong and it’s a brilliant way to meet people in different departments, adding to that community feel which runs through the bank. Beren-Bingo sticks out as a particularly memorable event – the prizes were fantastic (even if one person won two out of the six available prizes!)
What has your onboarding experience been like?
Onboaring was incredibly smooth. Timelines and dates were know well in advance. Induction period covered everything needed from an operational point of view (logins, benefits etc).
How has your background in medicine influenced your role and contributions at Berenberg?
I studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and graduated in the class of Covid-19 – a very unusual start to a medical career. Despite the challenges of working on the frontline during the pandemic, it was an insightful experience, and a unique time where external events really impacted day-to-day work as a clinician. In my penultimate year of university, I undertook a MSc in Translational Cardiovascular Medicine; I found the time-lag between scientific discoveries and clinical use of treatments somewhat disheartening. When hospital life reverted to normal as the pandemic subsided, it became clear that I wanted to work in an area that would allow me to closely follow innovations within medicine but also required broader contextualization in terms of world events and economic developments. Healthcare equity research provides the perfect blend of this. The industry expertise I developed in my nearly 10 years of studying/working as a doctor has proven particularly useful to understand pharmaceutical companies, their pipelines, and areas of clinical focus. What I love most about the job is the constant news flow (e.g. clinical trial updates, acquisitions) and need for lateral thinking – there’s always something new to learn.