Operations Summer Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 week Internship with J.P.Morgan. We were treated with respect and like one of the team from the start, assigned proper tasks to complete that were essential to the team. The work that I conducted was very interesting and allowed me to strongly develop my skills set and abilities. Also, we were well cared for by the recruitment team, who regularly organised events for all the interns, whether these be social or informational.

I was made to feel very welcome by all my colleagues, each of whom was happy to give me any time that I required, whether this be to ask them about the task at hand or just to sit with them to discuss the role at hand and how they got into it. I was treated with respect from the start and by the end of the internship was at a stage where my colleagues would ask me for help with any queries they had, making me feel like an integral part of the team.

On the very first day my managers took the time to sit with me and discuss the roles that our teams performed and how we fit into the business as whole. This was an important element as it gave me an understanding of what I would be doing for the next 10 weeks, helping me settle into the role. Also, whenever I had any queries or issues with the tasks I was performing they were more than happy to assist me or find the time to discuss the issue. This made me feel welcomed by the company and helped me to perform well throughout my 10 weeks.

I was placed within two teams, working in on each morning and the other in the afternoon, so I constantly had work to do and was never bored each day. However I never felt as though I was too busy and I was able to balance all the tasks required of me, whilst finding time to shadow other teams to develop an understanding of the business areas, as well as working on some projects I had been set.

From the very first week I was given a project to review and improve some of the information systems used by my team. This gave me a high level of responsibility as this determined the data that we would then send on to senior management. In my other team I was shown how to perform essential processes that need to be done each day to ensure our product could be delivered, so I had a high level of responsibility here as without me correctly performing my tasks, my colleagues would be unable to do their work.

One of the key skills I have developed was my time management. This was developed due to the high work load I had, so I had to manage my time effectively to ensure I performed all my daily tasks whilst finding time to work on my projects to have these completed by the end of the internship. This has assisted in my studies because it ensured I was always on top of my workload so when it came to completing my masters project and sitting my exams, I never felt rushed or stressed. I also developed was my analysis and problem solving. Throughout my projects and daily tasks I developed these skills to overcome any problems I encountered. These skills were key to my studies as being a mathematics student I often need to find ways to analyse and solve problems.

The atmosphere in the office was very friendly and relaxed. Everyone was happy to talk through the role that they perform, whether they were in my team or not. My colleagues were always happy to chat and so it was never dull. In the office there is a shop and restaurant and various eating areas which were always lively, and made a great place to meet with other interns and other colleagues.

The Internship was very well organized, with regular events arranged by the recruitment team to ensure that all the interns felt settled in a built contacts with the others. Also the internship was well structured, with our managers choosing interns who they thought would fit well into their teams based on our applications, which I feel worked well as I felt very settled within my teams.

The company has a vast selection of online training courses covering all of the areas of the business. These courses were very useful and I found time to do as many of these as I could, which has furthered my understanding of the industry and firm as a whole,, as well as developed my technical abilities for the teams I worked in. There were also various training sessions and presentations that we could choose to attend, covering a wide range of topics that furthered my learning.

Future employment prospects within the company are high. On the internship we have a mid-review where we are told if we are on track for a graduate offer. The graduate offer will be for the grad scheme starting the year after completion of the internship. At the end of the internship our managers then review with HR to determine whether we will be granted the offer or not. The majority of interns receive the graduate offer, provided they meet the performance requirements.

There was a good social scene among the interns. The majority of us all stayed in the same rented accommodation for the summer, and we also made a facebook group on which we communicated any social event we had organized. We had a larger gathering every Friday with most of the interns, and often would go to the beach together at the weekend. This was good as it enabled us all to quickly make friends and make the most of our ten weeks. Also my teams had teams social events once a month, which provided a good opportunity to get to know my colleagues better.

The cost of living and socializing was reasonably cheap, and easily covered by the salary we received for our work. We were in fact able to save a reasonable amount after coming to the end of our placement. The accommodation was not the cheapest as it was rented from the university, but it was still by no means expensive, and was worth it for the atmosphere.

The nightlife was good, with numerous reasonably priced clubs to choose from, as well as a wide array of various bars, with enough variation to suit all tastes. Also since we were located near the centre, all the bars and clubs were within walking distance making it easy and cheap to enjoy our evenings.

There were numerous opportunities to get involved in extra activities. The company has many differences groups and clubs to cater for all, whether this be sports teams or language clubs. Also there was the opportunity to get involved in corporate responsibility events such as helping out at a local wildlife sanctuary or repainting the local MS Therapy centre.