Finance Summer Intern Review

The work is interesting. Different teams have different types of work and I was lucky enough to be placed in a team where I enjoyed the work. There was a lot of variety in the work given and therefore there were no dull moments. The amount of work also ensured that I was busy during the day so again I wasn't in a position to get bored.

My colleagues were very welcoming and ensured a comfortable working atmosphere. They also valued my work and took interest in my projects. They also placed a lot of confidence in me by giving me important tasks which required a high level of accuracy. The team and other colleagues were always respectful and upheld the highest level of integrity in our interactions.

There was a lot of support from my managers and the rest of the team. They were always very willing to listen to my inputs and entertain my questions. When giving me a task they also provided clear guidance and were willing to help me out if I got stuck anywhere. They also gave me my own space and encouraged self learning and personal development.

The nature of the team meant that there was more ad hoc tasks than daily routine tasks. I was a part of most of the teams projects. This also meant that I was very busy at some times and relatively not so much at other times, but I was always busy enough to not feel bored. I was given work that would have clear contributions to the team and I was able to take ownership for my work.

Since I was working on projects for the team rather than an exclusive intern project, I was responsible for maintaining a high level of accuracy and integrity in my work. I was also interacting with some very senior people at the bank and thus had to ensure that I was clear and professional at all times. My manager trusted me enough to let me work on some very important projects for the team.

I have gained many technical, analytical and personal skills during the internship which I think would be very useful in both university studies and work in the future. From learning very advanced excel skills to enhancing communication and presentation skills, these skills will come very useful in the future. These are transferable skills that now having a strong foundation can be even further developed.

The atmosphere in the office was very lively. There was so much going on that it never felt dull. My colleagues on the floor were also very welcoming and nice people. There were often funny exchanges and interesting conversations with them which created a good balance between serious work and fun.

The application process for the internship was straightforward. There were clear instructions and descriptions of the steps involved. The on boarding team at J.P. Morgan ensured a smooth integration into the role. HR was involved in making sure that the interns had all the resources to make the most out of the 10 weeks. They also had a good events calendar with a mix of speaker series and social events. They also provided some guidelines on how to succeed and prepared a timeline of activities such as objective setting, work reviews etc. resulting in a well organised program.

We had an induction and compliance training on the first day which provided clear instructions on what was expected of employees from a compliance point of view and also had a panel of speakers ranging from the Head of the Investment bank to people on the graduate programme who recounted there experience at the bank. They also gave us many online training modules to complete which walked us through the various compliance requirements and overviews of the bank. Additionally, there were many optional training courses that employees can take with topics ranging from Excel skills to leadership skills.

The company was very clear on what future opportunities with them were available after the internship. On successful completion of the internship they offer a place on their Full time Graduate Program and HR provided us with the relevant information and made sure we knew what was expected of us.

All the interns had formed a close group and went out for drinks or for dinner every week after work on Friday. The entire group was very social and had become good friends during the internship. Additionally, my colleagues were also very social and invited me to social gatherings or even for just a drink after work. There was a good social scene with a variety of different activities, like, drinks, dinner and games like bowling, amongst the interns and my other colleagues.

Being in east London, living expenses are high compared to other parts of the country. However the banks pays interns enough money to live comfortably.

The nightlife was a lively one. It is not as lively as in some of the more student communities but there is an abundance of bars to get a drink with friends or colleagues after work.