Summer Analyst Review

The work and environment at J.P. Morgan was very enjoyable. There is a lot of emphasis on training incoming interns, providing them with guidance and assistance and giving them meaningful work to complete during the internship. While hours are sometimes long, the workload I was given was very manageable and rewarding.

A lot of emphasis is placed on developing and speaking one's own opinion. As such, interns are very encouraged to contribute to meetings which is very much valued by colleagues. It is worth keeping in mind, however, while contributions are welcomed, one should ensure to base them on factual evidence and sound research.

On daily work, there was a lot of support from the manager's side. Asking questions was very much encouraged and managers, as well as colleagues, are generally happy to sit down and discuss them in detail. Guidance for the case studies is a little bit less, as here the emphasis is on getting to the final target without relying on too much external guidance.

The work given kept all of us rather busy. In particular in combination with the case studies we were given, time was often sparse and a usual working day spanned from 8am to 8pm. Managers were very willing to help guide interns in terms of setting the right priorities and managing their time effectively.

Compared to other internships, the level of responsibility given to interns is very high. I was given meaningful pieces of work, given the change to contribute to my team and also given various opportunities to present to and discuss my views with the senior leadership of the credit risk department.

Working at JP Morgan provided me with a fantastic overview of the banking system as well as the way in which finance, politics and economics interact in the real world. This greatly complemented my studies by both adding real life examples to what I had learned but also enabled me to gain mew knowledge and skills which I am eager to apply to my academic studies.

The atmosphere around the office as very friendly. While there is a lot of emphasis on getting one's work done on time, the general atmosphere is very relaxed and it is not asked to work unnecessarily long hours. Colleagues from other teams too, where very open to meeting and answering any and all questions us interns had.

The Human Resources team did a fantastic job in organising the internship. Throughout the application process, the run up to the internship and during the internship itself they provided regular updates and guidance as well as happily answered any questions. The internship programme itself was very structured and well set up.

The firm invested huge amounts of time and effort into training us interns. The first week of the internship consisted of 9-5 training. During the remainder of the internship we received regular trainings which, while somewhat overwhelming at times, provided us with a great base in order to be able to complete our daily work.

The social scene within my department and my intern group was great. Teams frequently went for team lunches or drinks. HR and the programme coordinators also organised a variety of events such as drinks and barbecues which gave everyone a good opportunity to get to know other interns, colleagues and managers.

London as a place is not cheap, but the compensation received during the internship helps to make it affordable. The social life in London was great too, though the long hours worked by interns can sometimes be a bit of a hindrance to partaking in it. All in all, I greatly enjoyed my time in London.