Summer Intern Review

I enjoyed it very much because it gave me an accurate taste of what working routine is like in a company like J.P.Morgan. There were great opportunities to gain new technical and soft skills everyday, and people everywhere are very willing to share their knowledge and experience with interns.

My colleagues were supportive. They are willing to invest time to teach and guide me. When they allowed me to handle some tasks by myself, I felt like they trusted my ability and skills. During discussions, they were also keen and encouraging to listen to my ideas and thoughts. So it felt like hierarchy and bureaucracy almost don't exist.

I had weekly catch up session with my manager where I could seek advice or escalate any queries. On normal days, my colleagues were very willing to coach me and give me valuable feedback. There was a mid-tern review with HR where we get to check if we're still on track and ask feedback on rooms for improvement.

The days vary. Some days I could be tied to my desk trying to finish up tasks that pop up unpredictably. On some days, I have a couple of hours free where I could meet up with interns/seniors to catch up, or organise work-shadowing to learn about other department.

There was no pre-set list of projects for me to do when I first came in. Through some observations, I offered to help with some admin tasks and projects which I think my skills could be put to good use. Over time, my colleagues noticed my skills (PowerPoint for example) and started giving me tasks to handle.

Some of the soft skills gained (communication, time management, analytical thinking) definitely can be applied in daily dealings. Working in such a diverse work place really gave me the opportunity to understand people's styles and to learn to adapt to different background and cultures.

It is a very open culture. Seniors and Juniors mingle around, discuss objectively about projects and are open to any feedbacks. Everyone gave their best to their jobs without complaints. After work, teammates went out together and bonded over drinks or meals. So it felt almost like a second family here.

The bank is huge. There are so many business functions, and within each function, there are so many departments and teams doing tasks from data management, strategic project, client relationship management, documentation, to regulation and reporting. Because the bank manages performance by merits, there is huge opportunity to excel and stand out. Besides, J.P. Morgan has presence in almost every major economy. The mobility of moving to different locations is pretty high too.

Generally, the cost of living in Canary Wharf is similar to that in the city center. Food and drinks do not differ by much. Perhaps in the city there might be more cheaper alternatives. In terms of accommodation, there are more flats with cheaper rent nearby the office as compared to the flats around city offices.