Summer Analyst - European Equities Review

I was on a 10 week summer internship and I cannot say I was bored for a moment. The work and day-to-day routines were diverse and there were always new people to meet who were more than willing to chat and answer any questions I had. The other interns were also incredibly motivated people so there was constantly a stimulating atmosphere, both during work hours and after. There was enough structure so that one didn't get completely left to their own devices, but also enough freedom and flexibility to let you attend any meetings you wanted or organise your day in the way that suited you best.

The work atmosphere was very inclusive and people were approachable (obviously it is important to know when is best to approach someone..). They never seemed unimpressed if I didn't know something and asked about it. People always remembered to ask if I wanted to come along to meetings and would follow up if I asked to join in on something, often staying behind or taking the time to fill me in on things or set something into context.

Again very much up to the individual as to how much support or guidance one received. Some people volunteered to teach me functions on excel or wanted to see the projects I had been working on (or even get me to proof read some of their presentations) while others gave feedback principally when asked directly, No one ever refused to help me on anything I was stuck on but I definitely recommend trying to solve the problem or thinking about how you would approach an issue yourself before asking others.

Depends on how busy you made yourself. There were a couple of compulsory sessions a week but for the rest of the time you could organise your day and take on as much as you chose. There were some days I would attend mostly meetings and spend very little time at my desk and others where I would spend my entire day working on excel or trying to find data. There was never a 'routine' (which seemed hard to imagine before actually joining the internship!) and I would say if you aren't finding yourself busy 95% of the time, you're doing something wrong!

Again very much what you make of it. Clearly they won't give you any absurd responsibilities which could have adverse effects on the company or the clients but they might actually use a piece of research you produce or an excel template to analyse a data series in a particular way. Don't expect anyone to 'babysit' you so you're responsible for what you get done and how much you contribute and learn at the end of the day.

I rated 8/10 rather than 10/10 simply because the skills I have learnt aren't directly applicable to my degree (mathematics), but in terms of a learning experience the internship has been absolutely invaluable. The learning curve is very steep and can be continuously extended; there is always more to learn and the amount of information and resources I was given access to was rather outstanding (both in terms of people and in terms of search engines to research things myself). It also gives you a great opportunity to practice things like excel skills which will always come in handy in the future, and are much better learnt first hand rather than theoretically.

Very stimulating: people were always sharing opinions or new pieces of news or research they read and asking for other people's views on them. The atmosphere was relaxed in the sense that you never felt there was a barrier or any form or hierarchy and people would take the time to say hello and chat, no matter how briefly. People were hard-working and self-motivating which lead to an environment where learning constantly felt encouraged.

The structure was very well thought out overall. Of the 10 week internship we had one week (the first) of training where all the interns from Europe were in London attending the same training programme (which was a fantastic opportunity to meet everyone). The remaining 9 weeks were spent in our teams where we had to do some projects (they varied greatly from team to team). We had a couple training sessions a week for the rest of the 9 weeks in which we were mainly given talks by people from different divisions in the firm to give us exposure to all the different departments and being to form an idea about the overarching structure of the organisation.

As mentioned, incredible opportunities for learning new things both first hand from people (through meetings or asking them questions or reading their work etc..) and from actually being able to use the primary resources (search terminals, brokers ...).

Fantastic organisation with very fair and driven people. A company where you get the feeling you can contribute and work in the long term (evidenced by the length of service of most employees in the department being well over a decade) and where mobility and the pace your career moves at is set completely by you as opposed to driven by your age or seniority. Another invaluable aspect are the people that the company attracts; a career at J.P.Morgan means being surrounded by people you can constantly learn from and see how the most innovative ideas in the industry are formed.

The other interns were always there to joke around with and give you informal advice which created a lovely atmosphere and meant we formed very close bonds over the 10 weeks. Because the selection process had been so rigorous they were also all people who had a lot to offer in terms of learning and were always more than willing and capable to help or work through something with you. They were people who took up every opportunity to go out and have fun and explore London, and everyone was very inclusive and always up for meeting other interns from other divisions or companies. There were a few drinks events with colleagues from the team also which were a great way of getting to know people in a more informal setting.

Although it is London so rather expensive, there is something for everyone so it's pretty much up to you to decide how much to spend on living and socialising. A drink around the office area typically costs around £5-£10 and a meal anywhere between £5-£25.

The bars in the area (Victoria Embankment offices) are always packed after work and there are plenty of places to grab a drink when you leave the office. On the weekend this area in particular becomes rather empty but the rest of London is always buzzing. I would recommend doing some research on what nightclubs to go to and what times they open/close before going on a night out because with London being so large if you don't have a rough idea of what to look out for it is likely you spend a lot of time travelling from one place to another rather than actually going anywhere.

London is enormous, you are guaranteed to find any activity you might want to get involved in somewhere!