Spring into Technology Insight Week Review

The insight week was a fantastic experience that has given me a true insight into what a potential career could look like in the technology sector of J.P. Morgan. This was the first experience I have had in a real world technology environment and I thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. I would recommend anyone who is even remotely interested in pursuing a career in technology to apply for this opportunity.

I felt extremely valued throughout my time at J.P. Morgan. Everyone was made to feel extremely welcomed and that we were potential future employees at the firm rather than just some young students who were visiting for the week. We met many current employees at JP who were at various stages of their careers and they were more than happy to answer any question we had to ensure we did not leave feeling we should have asked more.

We were given an enormous amount of support throughout the week in terms of being able to ask anyone we met any question we had. During any presentations or work shadowing we were given almost unlimited time to ask every single question we had. The only downside was that sometimes our mentors during group work were not always with us and were sometimes hard to get a hold of.

While I did not necessarily learn any new programming skills, I did learn a number of other skills that will be extremely useful in my university and professional career. There was a lot of group work involved in the programme and. unlike university. everyone in the group was giving their all to every activity. I learned a lot about group work and collaboration during these activities. I also learned about Agile and how important this way of working is to a firm like J.P.

I could not possibly fault the structure of this week. Clare and Dolly did a fantastic job at organising extremely meaningful events throughout the week and ensuring everything ran exactly on time. There were next to no time where I felt like we were just sitting about wasting time, we were always working on something for a reason.

The atmosphere was extremely positive everyday of the insight experience. This was partly down to the fact that all the other 'insighters' were very nice and easy to get on with. But also again down to Clare and Dolly's personalities, they were extremely approachable and were constantly making sure everyone was feeling comfortable and having fun.

The firm invested a huge amount of time and money into our development. We were able to see exactly what a career in technology requires and so are able to go away and develop some of these skills to ensure we are feeling ready to start our careers in tech.

While we might not have been able to see exactly what programming looked like day in day out in the office, we were given a vast amount of information that at least painted a picture of what a full time role would look like. They emphasise how important mobility is to them and so if you are not happy in a role you will easily be able to move around until you are in a role that suits you.

The one thing I was most apprehensive about working for an investment bank was the company culture and work life balance. This is one of the main reasons I enjoyed this programme as it was made clear that working in tech meant that you did standard 9-5/5:30 office hours and so there is as much work life balance here than in any other job. The culture of the firm is also much more relaxed than I had expected for a bank and I know the stereotypes have well and truly been proven wrong.

The content of the week was perfect in helping me decide on whether technology in investment banking is for me. We were given a true insight into exactly what it would be like to work at the firm, how we would be able to fit in if we were given the opportunity to work there as well as what career progression can look like in the firm.

My transport to and from Bournemouth, my hotel accommodation and food/drinks were all provided by JP. I had trouble with my return flight in that it was booked for the incorrect day, however JP again covered the cost of booking an alternative flight

There were ample opportunities to get to speak to employees at JP. For example, we had work shadowing for 4 hours on Monday and we were given most of this time to ask questions about life at the firm to our mentor. We were also able to network with employees at most other events such as networking lunches, coding challenges etc.

Given that the insight programme is only 3 days long rather than the full week we had quite long days to fit in networking sessions. On Monday we had a networking event at Cosy Club where we were able to get to know our fellow insighters better. Food and a free bar were provided here. On Tuesday night we also had a social event in the office at the end of the 'work day', again this was an opportunity to get to know each other better. There were various other times throughout the programme, such as a networking lunch, where we were able to network with employees at JP

We were given some information about additional activities that the employees got involved in with things like the family network, women in technology etc. It was also emphasised how important teamwork is and how often employees socialise with their team outside of work.

There is no doubt in my mind that I would recommend this experience to anyone who was even slightly interested in technology in the financial sector. This is a truly unique experience and one that I am extremely proud to have been a part of. Some people may be put of by the idea of working in a bank but the stereotypes many people have could not be further from the truth, at JP at least.