Intern Review

I really enjoyed this insight at JP Morgan. I was able to learn about many different aspects of the company through talking to many of the employees there. There were also coding challenges which were both highly enjoyable and taught me a lot. There were a few things that could have been better organized, but on the whole it was an extremely enjoyable experience.

The Glasgow section of JP Morgan is a very friendly and inclusive place to be. I was able to strike up conversations with many of the employees I met, and all were friendly and easy to get along with. As this was just a three day event, I didn't particularly have work to do for the company, but my presence was valued and that was awesome.

I learned so much from going on this insight. All of the practical activities taught me so much about what it means to work as a developer in a place like JP Morgan. Additionally, in each practical activity, there was always a group mentor who would help the group if it ran into any issues. This was extremely helpful, and the mentor's also were able to do just the right amount of helping without stopping us from thinking for ourselves.

I believe that many of the skills I learned will be helpful. Much of it had to do with how to work together in a team and what to expect when working in a job. I believe that these skills will carry on to be useful for the rest of my life. There were a few things that will perhaps not be used so much, but I think they are still useful to know and understand. For example, we did a session on UX design, but I likely will not go into that area, so it is unlikely I will extensively use that knowledge, but I'm also glad to have learned it.

For the most part, the insight is very well structured. We went from event to event in a way that meant we got the best out of everything, with well placed breaks as well. However, there were a few times when technical difficulties caused some things to start late and a few events that could have been explained better before the practical aspect began.

The atmosphere of the insight was amazing. I was excited by all of the talks and practical events that happened, and additionally the social events where excellent and I had a great time with my peers and the employees at JP Morgan. On the whole, the atmosphere is just overwhelmingly friendly and very relaxed, which is fabulous.

The entire insight seemed to be about developing and training me. Regardless of if this was through talks or practical activities or just having time to talk and discuss life with the employees. There are many things that I learned and have understood from this insight that I otherwise might never have learned until I would have graduated and have gotten a job.

After this insight, I can safely say I have a good idea of what it would be like to work at JP Morgan. We did 2 sessions of work shadowing over the course of the insight, and this allowed me to understand what individual members of the company would work on, and how they would go about doing that. There was also a lot of time to talk with employees, and in those times I was also able to discuss what life at the company was like.

I learned so much about the company culture through this insight. Work shadowing, and watching how team members interact with each other, how teams interacted with each other, and how the daily life of an employee would go all helped me to see what the company culture was like. I especially learned about the culture from chatting with employees.

I have found that through these few days at JP Morgan I am very seriously considering applying for their internships in the hope of working for them someday. I still would want to do an internship to really experience full time work at the company, but I based on these few days, I have the feeling that I will enjoy it very much.

JP Morgan paid for travel and hotel costs for all that participated and needed to travel from other cities. They also provided breakfast, lunch and dinner for the first two days and breakfast and lunch for the final day (dinner wasn't provided as the event ended around 5pm). They also had an open bar on one night and paid for everyone to go bowling :)

All the activities had mentors for groups, which gave opportunities to talk to some people. Additionally, at various mealtimes there were opportunities to speak to employees and discuss life at the company. On top of this, we also had two social events that allowed us to talk with various employees as well as networking among our peers.

I very much enjoyed the social events. The first night we went bowling, and there was also an open bar. The next night the social event was at JP Morgan, with great food and a lot of free drinks. These times, as well as some lunchtimes, also gave us good opportunities to talk to many of the employees.

Although the activities outside work were not specifically mentioned, I was able to learn much about what employees do outside of work from the employees themselves, which is the best way. There are many groups within the company that meet together and do various activities, from Mountaineering to AI. I also learned that the company encourages employees to participate in these kind of activities and interests, so long as everyone gets their work done.

I would definitely recommend this insight. It taught me so much in just three days and has changed my outlook on working as a software developer in the finance world. Additionally, I am also much more confident in how to move forward in my University life to prepare for the work life that comes after.