Spring into Operations Insight Week Review

I really enjoyed the program. It was very informative and everyone we met was very nice, helpful and always happy to answer any questions.

Considering that it was only an insight week it was remarkable how many people in different positions came to talk to us, made us feel welcome and showed us they cared.

We got a lot of support throughout the week. Everyone we met was very helpful regardless of whether they were part of the program or if we just met them randomly when walking through the building. The people organising the week were always around to help with any queries.

Since it was an insight week we did not learn too much about the business and itself. We gained a good overview over what Operations is and how it fits in with the rest of the company. However we had a lot of tasks in which we could develop our transferable skills which will definitely be helpful in the future.

The insight was very well structured. There were never any waiting times, everyone was always on time and we sticked to the agenda that was given to us on the first day. It was a good mix of listening to presentations to gain understanding of the business and doing tasks ourselves.

The atmosphere was very relaxed. All the other students very lovely and again all the people we met from J.P.Morgan were extremely helpful and always happy to speak to us.

We did a lot of group projects since we were quite a large group (38 people) but within every project we focused on different transferable skills ranging from leadership, teamwork and communication to analytical and presentation skills. It was less personal training but there in every group project there was one business representative to help us with our tasks.

Throughout the insight week there were daily opportunities for us to speak to employers in various different roles, from graduate to managers on all different levels. They were all happy to tell us what they were doing in their role and for example what their daily routine looks like. From this I would say I have gained a good overview over what it would be like to have a full time role within the company.

By speaking to so many different people and getting to work shadow some of the graduates we really got a feeling for what the company culture is like. They are very focused on building strong relationships within the company and organise social events through out the year so people can bond outside of work. Especially the graduates seemed very satisfied with the company culture.

Obviously it is hard to fully understand a job within a week, especially if there are as many different roles as in Operations. However I feel like the insight week as given me a broader understanding of what a job in operations would actually look like and made it a lot easier to decide whether I want to actively pursue a career in this department or even within J.P.Morgan. I would recommend the program to everyone trying to figure out whether a job in banking is for them.

The company paid for my flight to London, train to Bournmouth and accommodation in a Hotel including breakfast for the entire week. We were also provided with lunch everyday and dinner on two days.

There were opportunities to network with people in various different roles pretty much every single day.

Usually there were around 7-10 business reps for the entire group giving you the opportunity to have a chat with them and ask them questions within a small group. I'd personally say that they were well organised and everyone there was very open about any questions you might ask.

Especially the graduates told us about all the social events happening and different things you can get involved in like a football club etc. From what I have seen J.P.Morgan offers various opportunities to get involved not only with sports but also environmental and social projects. They also organise parties or BBQs in the summer that everyone can attend.

I would definitely recommend doing it. Even if at the end of the week you figure out that Operations is not for you it is an amazing opportunity for meeting new people, networking and developing your transferable skills. It also looks really good on your CV. Overall it's a really fun and informative week.