.NET Finance/Banking vs General .NET

[Hex]

so how does that industry sector define their systems at all? A trader giving you a cock n bull verbal description whilst buying and selling with a phone in his hand?

Yes.

You go to talk to a Trader at his desk. Sometimes they send you away 'cos they're too busy. Sometimes they'll give you a few minutes. They'll explain what they want at a very high level. You flesh it out yourself or talk to other IT people to try and fill in the blanks. You build something. You demo it. They give feedback, you change it etc. You're expected to understand the business.

[weemster]

The City = money talks + tulip walks

[ChimpMaster]

Yes.

You go to talk to a Trader at his desk. Sometimes they send you away 'cos they're too busy. Sometimes they'll give you a few minutes. They'll explain what they want at a very high level. You flesh it out yourself or talk to other IT people to try and fill in the blanks. You build something. You demo it. They give feedback, you change it etc. You're expected to understand the business.

That's normally the case if you're building some Excel / VBA / Access / .NET based thing that the trader wants yesterday. I don't see that as being the case for the core infrastructure systems. Then you get the usual BAs etc involved and projects take 6 months to develop before they are eventually (a) put on hold indefinately, (b) forgotten about or (c) canned.

[frankjj]

.... I don't see that as being the case for the core infrastructure systems. Then you get the usual BAs etc involved and projects take 6 months to develop before they are eventually (a) put on hold indefinately, (b) forgotten about or (c) canned.

hmmm, doesn't sound like too demanding? I guess as far BA are involved this isn't a really high pressure environment ... is easy for a dev to be ahead.

[Hex]

That's normally the case if you're building some Excel / VBA / Access / .NET based thing that the trader wants yesterday. I don't see that as being the case for the core infrastructure systems. Then you get the usual BAs etc involved and projects take 6 months to develop before they are eventually (a) put on hold indefinately, (b) forgotten about or (c) canned.

The case I was describing was C# based trader tools. I've also done Java infrastructure for bond trading. In that case it was 9 months, no BAs but it did have project Manager and two technical leads who knew the business. Project was canned after 9 months similar to your description. Talks with the bond traders were extremely limited.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Talks with the bond traders were extremely limited.

Yeah, they can be like that. Still, they are better than FX traders - they haven't developed language skills yet. They just point and grunt.

[Not So Wise]

Yes.

You go to talk to a Trader at his desk. Sometimes they send you away 'cos they're too busy. Sometimes they'll give you a few minutes. They'll explain what they want at a very high level. You flesh it out yourself or talk to other IT people to try and fill in the blanks. You build something. You demo it. They give feedback, you change it etc. You're expected to understand the business.

Unless you are implimenting pretty major systems this format is common inside and out of banking, nothing special is required beyond decent communication skills, a bit of imagination and ability to google to find industry specific information when required

Cannot remember when i last saw a decent project spec that i did not write myself and only write those when i know client is going to be one those who end up always asking for more and more thus leading to a never ending project

[Bright Spark]

Yes.

You go to talk to a Trader at his desk. Sometimes they send you away 'cos they're too busy. Sometimes they'll give you a few minutes. They'll explain what they want at a very high level. You flesh it out yourself or talk to other IT people to try and fill in the blanks. You build something. You demo it. They give feedback, you change it etc. You're expected to understand the business.

sometimes they just give you some weird complex spreadsheet that they been using since birth and you have to convert it to a functional .NET
app that can be used by other traders in the bank in two weeks.

[Scrag Meister]

Contracting in Finance

It varies a huge amount between strategic v tactical work.

I much prefer the tactical as it fast and usually only mea dn possibly one other.

Bureaucracy (spelling? ) sets in once you get on the year long strategic project, the ones that those that sit in the gods are interested in, PMs, BAs, Team Leads, more programmers.

Better rates are also generally available.

Being perm in the bank is a full time, back stabbing, political manouevering game, I am thankful for being well out of that.

I'm enjoying it.