Connor Smith

Tell us a bit about yourself outside of work – what are your hobbies?

I have a fair few hobbies outside of work. On the creative side, I adore playing guitar, songwriting and poetry-writing. On the sporty side, I love playing tennis, swimming and weightlifting. Overall, I enjoy activities which are social in nature and face-to-face.

How did you get started in your career?

I began my corporate career at Bank of America with a summer internship in 2021, working in the Project Management (PM) division. Following the successful completion of this summer internship, I was offered a graduate role, starting in July 2022. I have now been in my position for over one year as a Technical Business Analyst.

How do you manage your disability at work?

How I manage my disability has evolved over time. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia in 2020 and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 2023. Throughout primary school, secondary school and college, I was unaware that I had any of these conditions and considered my behaviours and tendencies as the status quo. Therefore, up until 2020, I had no official channels of support for what was a real condition, just undiagnosed. After I was diagnosed, I sought out assistance. During my summer internship and graduate role, Bank of America have been extremely helpful. I was put in touch with the assistive technology team who were able to supply me new hardware and software to help manage my neurodivergences. They are always more than happy to help.

What is your organisation’s approach to disability and how has your employer helped you to do well at your workplace?

I was very impressed with how active the Employee Networks were within Bank of America, especially the Disability Action Network (DAN). Over my summer internship, I was a member of the virtual chapter and now as a graduate I am Co-chair of the Chester chapter, working to improve awareness of neurodivergences such as Dyslexia and ADHD, to enable colleagues to get the necessary assistance. As previously mentioned, the assistive technology team were brilliant in allowing me to have access to hardware and software that could improve my job performance.

What led you to this role? Why did you choose to join this organisation?

I have always had a passion for technology. I studied computer science-related courses in secondary school, college and university. Hence my onboarding to a technology-based role. One of the reasons I chose to join Bank of America was for their longstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments to local communities and great causes. I also developed a relationship with Bank of America at campus events when I was in university.

What advice would you give a student with a similar disability, who wants to pursue a career in the field you work in?

My approach would be to be open (when you feel comfortable) about your disability to your employer. They are here to help with your condition and make the necessary adjustments to help you thrive. In technology, where there is a plethora of assistive technologies available to those with neurodivergences to help them succeed, I’ve found its best to take advantage of these for good.

What do you wish you knew when you were at university?

Although I did a fair share of networking in university, I wish I did even more. The power of having great connections can bring real benefit to your career. This can be in the form of job opportunities, career advice or education. I’ve found that LinkedIn can be a valuable tool to initiate these connections.

Connor has since left Bank of America and now works at Barclays.