Sync NI speaks with Glenn Marshall-Adams, Applications Developer at Citi about his recent career pivot and how his employer empowered him to fulfil his Developer aspirations.
Following 12 years as a Project Manager and recent completion of a Masters in Software Development course, Glenn Marshall-Adams craved a change of pace in his role at Citi. Working within Citi’s ICG Technology team, Glenn was able to pivot his career there when he was given the freedom to tailor a role that better met his interests. Glenn recently sat down with Sync NI to share his journey at Citi and discuss his recent change of career path to Applications Developer.
Q: Can you give us an idea of your role at Citi now?
I am currently working as an Applications Developer within the Markets Data, Risk & Controls team here at Citi. The team are responsible for providing technology solutions that help the Markets Business manage their data, risks and controls. I am focused on developing and maintaining four main applications: Auctions, Conflicts of Interest, Benchmarks and E-Chronicle. The purpose of these applications is to help identify potential market abuse.
My role allows me to work with the latest development tools and technologies; my current tech stack is SQL, Java Spring Boot, Node.js and React with Typescript. Some people think that working for an investment bank limits your technology stack. I haven’t found that to be the case at all. Citi has made great strides in improving how developers access the tools needed to do their jobs. I’m able to take advantage of a Citi-specific ‘marketplace’ that allows me to access whatever technologies I need to do my job. Some examples of the additional technologies used by other teams within Citi include Python, .NET, R, MongoDB etc.
As our apps are hosted on Citi’s cloud infrastructure, we can use Citi’s proprietary Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) tool, which leverages Jenkins & uDeploy, as part of our development cycle. Instead of having to follow a complex release process, I can use these tools to deploy changes and applications more quickly. This allows me to spend more time on hands on development and coding – something which makes me very happy indeed!
Q: You recently transitioned to this role after 12 years as a project manager. How did you successfully pivot your career whilst remaining at Citi?
As you mentioned, I had been working as a project manager for 12 years and felt that it was time for a change. My first degree was completed many years ago in 2015. At first, I thought that it was crazy for me to consider a career in development. I assumed that it would take years of studying and catching up as I didn’t have a technology-related undergraduate education. I was really surprised when I learned that you could complete a Masters in Software Development as a post-graduate conversion course with any type of undergraduate degree.
Having done the necessary research, I happily enrolled to study for a Masters in Software Development at Queen’s University Belfast. This was a fantastic experience and I was delighted to graduate. The course fueled my passion for technology and I was keen to put my newfound knowledge and experience to use as an actual Software Developer.
Initially, I wasn’t sure how I would achieve this goal but I thought that a good first step might be to talk to my manager. When I explained that I was considering a new career I was really impressed by the response I received. I expected to be directed to a different department or offloaded to a team that desperately needed developers. Instead, my manager asked what exactly I was looking for and then made time to tailor a role at Citi to suit my individual needs. I found this approach really refreshing; it was something I had never experienced in the previous companies I worked with. This experience has turned me into a strong advocate for pushing for how you want your career to progress. Citi have been super supportive of my needs and that’s something I rave about to all my friends and colleagues alike when I am talking about my experiences here.
Q: Do you feel your career progression has been different to many of your peers?
In terms of career progression, I feel like most people have the end goal to simply working their way up through the seniority levels in an organisation. For me, especially with my previous experience as a project manager, my goal was to be able to work as a Software Developer and I am more than happy to do that as an individual contributor. This is something that Citi were happy to let me do and I am enjoying being accountable to myself after years of managing other people.
Q: What would you say to anyone who may be interested in a career pivot?
I have been so lucky to have had Citi’s support through my career change. This meant that I was in the fortunate position of not having to find a new employer to pursue my interests. It meant that I was able to retain my network and continue working with a company that makes me feel valued.
For those interested in changing career paths, I am a true believer in self-accountability. If there is something I want to learn, I make time to research and find the information I need. Citi have proven that they are championing their employees by providing them with room to grow. I’m the perfect example of this. I will be forever grateful for the time, resources, and opportunities that Citi have provided to help me further my career. Not only that but I’m also thankful for the fact that they believed in me and that they took the time to understand my needs and tailor a role to suit my career change.
Q: Outside of your day-to-day job function, what is the culture like working at Citi?
I am really excited about the culture at Citi. There are a lot of affinity networks of which you can be a part of. I am part of the Citi Pride network and very recently I took part in the International Food Festival which was brilliant. We got to experience multiple cultures and taste a number of different dishes from around the world which was something different.
Working here has been a big eye-opener. At Citi, I am working with people from all over the world and the diversity is constantly fascinating and makes for great conversation over lunch. It has been interesting learning how other people's cultures and backgrounds differ from my own. This level of diversity isn’t something I have had exposure to before and is one of the big advantages of working for a company like Citi.
To discover more about a career with Citi, watch the video below.
