Spring Weeker Review

Had quite a busy and hectic week (which was good because we experienced a lot in such a short amount of time) but overall very enjoyable and insightful. I very much enjoyed meeting and getting to know new people, both employees and other spring weekers. At first I thought it was quite odd for the bank to invest in social events for us but that became one of the best parts of the week because I got to know a lot of people really well which is important because I know if I ever had to work with them it would be a good experience. I particularly liked the fact that during the networking and work shadowing sessions, employees were, to some extent, very casual and relaxed with us so I felt very comfortable asking them questions and gave a good impression of the culture at the bank.

Very valued in the sense that I knew a lot of people had invested their time to help us and come and speak to us. Also the company had invested a lot of money in organising this for us (e.g. accommodation, food, skills sessions, socials etc) I felt that any questions I was asked, I was given a really helpful and detailed response even if it was a basic question. However, during my work shadowing in Wealth Management, my shadowee did leave us at some points to follow another group (which is understandable considering they were probably very busy)

A lot of guidance was received during out projects (from our mentors) which was extremely helpful and gave me a better understanding of Wealth Management. I also appreciated the fact that we were supported in terms of the recruitment process with explanations of what it would be like and the interview skills workshop.

Definitely the skills developed from doing the presentations as well as what I learnt from the workshop. Since delivering presentations is a key soft skill to have in many careers I found that extremely helpful, especially considering delivering presentations is something I'm not completely confident with. Also, during the case study exercise, the analytical skills and understanding of a persons needs will be very useful in both my degree and career. In general, the experience was good practice for reinforcing time management, communications and networking skills and note-taking skills.

It was very well structured. We had something to do at all times and never had a moment where we were standing around and doing nothing. I particularly liked the fact that it was mixed up i.e. not all work shadowing in one day, not a whole day working on our presentations, not a whole day sat down listening to people. I appreciated the fact that we were given a timetable at the start of the week as I felt more prepared and could plan my day in advance, for instance how to get to the location, what questions I have for the person I'm meeting today, which days we finish early and have time to work on our presentation etc.

Overall it was very friendly and welcoming. There was a level of enthusiasm which was reassuring. Particularly during the work shadowing, some of the employees we passed and spoke to were very willing to sit down with us and were friendly and approachable. I think this is very important and particularly drew me to JPM because it overcomes the stereotype of a bank being hostile, competitive and very serious.

The firm invested a lot in us and I felt very valued as previously mentioned. I really appreciated the help we received for our projects such as the presentation skills workshop and the guidance for the recruitment process (the interview skills workshop and the general discussions about the assessment centre) as through this, I improved my skills and I can now translate these to other aspects of my life such as my degree.

The insight made it very clear what the firm was like in terms of culture through networking with people. I have a very good understanding of the roles of employees who I shadowed, e.g. multi asset solutions, but found it difficult to see how these roles fit with other parts of the company such as sales. The talks on the different roles were very helpful however I would appreciate if some of them were more simplified as I had trouble understanding some even after the talks.

Networking with employees gave us a really real understanding into the company culture as everyone had a similar personality; very friendly, very driven, team-oriented. Additionally, when asked about the culture, they all had similar answers; everyone is always willing to give up their time and they appreciate if someone wants to learn something new and they felt very valued (e.g. by having the chance to do exams).

The content was very helpful in terms giving us a really realistic overview of what its like to work in asset or wealth management. After the spring week, my views on both completely changed however I am still unsure of which I would be more suited for. Additionally, from the spring week I know which aspects of asset management and which aspects of wealth management I am interested in and would enjoy.

Given free accommodation and a travel card for the week.

Yes lots of opportunities including networking lunches, interactive sessions, and work shadowing.

Very enjoyable and insightful. I believe someone in the feedback session mentioned that they would like to have employees at the social events which were planned for just the spring weekers and I would disagree. I liked the fact that the opportunities to network with employees and other spring weekers were kept separate so we could devote time to asking employees questions and understanding their role then we had time to socialise with other students in a more relaxed manner.

I don't think this was mentioned.

Yes, very much so. The experience in general was so helpful and valuable. As well as understanding more about asset and wealth management, understanding more about the company and its culture, engaging in activities to see if this the right career path for us, it was a good learning experience in terms of getting used to working life, behaving and dressing professionally and socialising and communication skills.