Akshat Khariwal, a VP Software Engineer, reveals the key factors behind his decision to join Barclays – and they could have a bearing on yours

Of all the reasons I came to Barclays, three stand out. 

First, the role. I wanted to join a platform team. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that software engineers get the platform support they need, especially in the highly regulated financial environment. I was up for the challenge. 

Second, the sector. Having previously worked at JP Morgan, I had solid financial experience but now wanted to go deeper. Where else does problem-solving involve cloud-native architectures, microservices and enterprise security? The multi-dimensional nature of the job makes me a stronger engineer. 

For example, I recently worked on the implementation of our enterprise toolchain which is transforming software development by automating routine coding tasks, generating unit tests, and explaining complex codebases. Tasks that took days of manual coding are now done in hours. A saving of this scale changes the game. Instead of boilerplate code, developers can focus on customer needs.  

The future of banking is platform-driven and AI-powered. Already my role is accelerating this transformation. 

Finally, the business. At Barclays, you get the start-up problem-solving energy with the backing of substantial resources. A tech giant might have cutting-edge tools, but their products are often isolated from real-world impact and complexity. Only Barclays has enterprise-grade tech and over 300 years of financial pedigree. It’s exciting to think about what’s ahead – and my part in it.