Operations Summer Intern Review

I enjoyed it greatly. It was a really good learning process and the soft skills I've picked up including how to network, having a personal brand and being confident in communicating is something I can take back to my year in university and really be able to harness all the opportunities around me. The overall experience of being with JP Morgan, living in Bournemouth, meeting 150 other interns contributed to the overall enjoyment of this internship.

I was very lucky to be placed in a team that welcomed me with open arms. It was small group so I got the chance to get to know them all personally and build those relationships. Even though I was the only girl in the team and very young in age and experience, they all made me feel a part of the group and treated me like a peer, always listening to my options and encouraging me to question the status quo and take charge of my work.

Everyone was very supporting and happy to help. The JPM culture of being able to walk up to and talk to just about anyone regardless of their position is something that surprised me in a good way. As I had expected the banking industry to be more strict. My manager was always very encouraging of me going for different training seminars and shadowing different teams and I think that was very important for me to be able to get the most out of my time here.

It really differed from day to day but overall I would say it was an okay balance. I would have preferred to be more busy but I think it is really a self motivated effort where you yourself have to find work or take on projects. My average hours were 9am - 5pm with some days going by really quickly because of how busy I was and some days really dwindling because I didn't have much to do. I know of a lot of other interns who had more or less hours, so it does depend on your LOB and team.

I was given enough responsibility for my own development in these 10 weeks. I would have liked to have more responsibility but it would be difficult to take on in only 10 weeks. I was given smaller projects to work on and tasks which are likely to have a lasting impact even after I leave which was really interesting to work on.

Like I mentioned previously, these 10 weeks have given me skills I will be able to leverage for life. Having this big corporation experience in integral for any student to have as it really shows you how things work in the real world and teach you all the soft skills to make the most out of opportunities presented to you. It does help you realize your hidden skills and talents and make your strengths and weakness clearer to you.

Great working environment. Stress free with happy banter going on. I was lucky to have a manager and team with a great sense of humour so the jokes never stopped. Everyone was very collaborative and approachable and there was an overall sense of team feeling. Everyone was also very polite and courteous (I never had to open a door myself!). It definitely lived up to JPM's famous work culture.

I thought it was very well organized. We were kept busy with several fun activities, events and networking opportunities. There was enough support provided as well with the point of contacts being easily accessible at all times and very willing to help. We knew from the very start what the 10 weeks would comprise of so it was easy to plan out our days and make the most of it.

It was absolutely great ! Around 90 of us lived in the same student accommodation Lyme Regis and it was like first year of uni again. Going to work all together, going shopping, to dinners, clubs, karaoke and pub nights, it was definitely an integral part in making the internship so great. Everyone was very friendly and like minded and I've made quite a few life long friends in just 10 weeks. Yes, you will learn to survive on very little sleep every night but it's totally worth the exhaustion !

Coming from London, I did expect the change in cost of living but Bournemouth was still surprisingly expensive. I think it was because of the lack of choice, where as in London there's the expensive option but also the really cheap one, here, there's only one choice and at most two. Rent was very cheap though and for the location, by the beach, near the city centre, it was great prices!

Really good nightlife ! I did not expect it to be this lively but everyone in Bournemouth seems to always be on a holiday. The atmosphere is stress free and fun, I guess that's what happens when you're near the beach. Friday and Saturday nights are very alive with the food shops open till late. Even though there aren't as many clubs, there are a lot of pubs in the area. I enjoyed the weekend night outs a lot.

Lot of extracurricular activities arranged such as go karting, tennis or netball tournaments. There was aqua park and several volunteering opportunities to get involved in. 10 weeks however was not enough to actually make the most of all the things available, but I still got to do a lot of fun things.