Student Review

I really enjoyed this Diversity Symposium as it was very interactive and all speakers were engaging and great to hear from. There was a diverse panel of speakers; some more senior in the career and some who have joined recently in various roles across the Investment Bank. I had a lot of questions prior to the event and all of them were answered! I also enjoyed hearing about the different initiatives that are in place to promote diversity in the workplace.

All attendees of the symposium were acknowledged and made to feel very welcome. The company has so many initiatives to represent everyone from their jWin, jMosaic+, Jefferies LGBTQ+ and JEMS groups which we were all able to identify with. I felt greatly valued as they allowed us to interact with over 20 of their employees who provided us with invaluable insight. They gave us a lot of time to ask any questions we had about Jefferies or the more specific roles within the firm.

I received a great amount of support throughout the whole event as more complex topics were broken down to a simple and understandable manner. The questions and answers provide more individual guidance and support as they answered specific queries we may have had. I had applied for this insight event to receive more clarity on some business areas and it has really helped me to narrow down which area of the Investment Bank I would apply to work at.

I gained a greater understanding of how Jefferies operates in comparison to other Bulge Bracket Investment Banks as they have different approaches. I will be able to apply this knowledge within my Degree at University but also in future interviews and in my work. I also received tips on how to improve my personal branding which is important when it comes to standing out from other candidates during recruitment processes but also when working in a firm.

The event was well structured with the right amount of time for the speakers to tell us about themselves and their roles within the firm but also enough time for questions to be answered. There was also a break in the middle of the event which was great to consolidate what the speakers had just told us and to prepare for the panel discussions that followed. The layout was also great as they started by introducing the different company values, what an Investment Bank does and then giving an overview of the company.

The atmosphere was great as all speakers were super engaging and all the speakers were well prepared for their talks. It was amazing to see them all willing to give up their time for our benefit so that we can learn from them. The atmosphere was motivating as there were a large number of students with similar interests and career aspirations. As the event was held virtually, the networking aspect was missing both between students and Jefferies.

The firm spent a lot of time investing in us as they gave a greater understanding of the company but also the industry itself. They provided me with greater knowledge which I will not be able to talk about confidently with other individuals. The firm also gave me invaluable networking and personal branding training which will be essential for greater success in my career. The personal training and development given will have a positive impact on my career.

The insight helped me to understand what it would be like to have a full-time role with the company as I was able to hear from analysts and associates at different points in their career, some who may have had over 20 years of experience and some who may have a few years within the company. I heard from all their departments which provided me with a much better understanding of the different roles and what their responsibilities entail. I also learnt about different ways you can immerse yourself within the company outside of work.

The insight provided me with a much greater understanding of the company culture as I heard about their experiences and why they had chosen to come to Jefferies and not gone to a different firm. From the start of the day, we heard about Jefferies values and how the Jefferies way is to be; entrepreneurial, collaborative and creative. We also heard about the incredible philanthropic work they do which includes donations and scholarships for students.

The content was invaluable in helping me to decide on my future career path as I was able to identify where my interests would be more suited but also where my skills and knowledge would be more fitted. I was able to identify between the different career paths and make a more valued judgement. As I was able to hear from those who work in different departments, I gained a deeper understanding of the roles I previously had not considered.

It was not a paid experience as it was a virtual event. It was held virtually due to Coronavirus which meant that there was no travel costs for me as I had attended the symposium from home. The symposium was also a half-day experience in comparison to their week-long event previously.

As the event was held virtually, there was not an opportunity to network with the employees of the company or the speakers. However, we were able to speak to employees through the questions and answers segments of the webinar.

There were not many networking and social event opportunities as the symposium were held virtually. However, I am sure if it was held at their offices, the networking and social event opportunities would have been fantastic to attend. It was not possible to have one to one conversations with both employees and other students who were attending the insight event.

Yes, we found out about many activities that employees do together through their diversity forums but also since coronavirus they have adapted to hold virtual events together where they do quizzes and many other activities which do not involve work.

I would absolutely recommend this event to a friend as it has provided me with a huge amount of information that I had previously not known about both the company Jefferies and the industry of Investment Banking. It also provided me with a greater understanding of the financial industry.