Software Engineer Review

by J.P. Morgan

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • The Role
    3.9
  • The Company
    3.7
  • The Culture
    3.4

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • The hours were very good so I was able to maintain a good work life balance. There were lots of social activities put on by work including Christmas parties, talks by the likes of [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] and team dinners. I found the work challenging and stimulating, but always felt like I could ask for help if it became too much.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I was a little worried about joining an all male team. However from the get go I was treated as an equal and after a few months on the job, I did not feel like the intern but just another team member. The regular catch ups and social events with the rest of the placement cohort meant that I also had a support network of those in exactly the same position as me.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was great. He really understood that I was coming into my first real job and how intimidating that can be. So he adjusted his managerial technique suitably. I was also taught to code (from scratch) by the other software developers on my team. Their patience and kindness meant that I felt comfortable to ask anything and by the end of my first 2 months I had code in production.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Depending on key events in the markets and production issues the work flow could go from very very busy to days where there wasn’t much to do. This could be annoying at times but I was able to fill this spare time with online trainings, work shadowing and other event such as coffee morning and skill workshops.

    3/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given more responsibility than I was expecting. I had to be accountable for my own projects and timelines. I was responsible for giving updates to team members around the globe and communicating with traders to manage their expectations regarding completion dates and requirements of their requests. When balancing several projects this could become a little stressful however I could always ask for help if I felt the work load was too much.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I am a mathematics student so the software engineering skills I learnt will not be that helpful whilst completing my final year. However, this year on placement has shown me how much technology and finance are merging. As I would like to pursue a career in finance, being able to code will help me greatly.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The office at Canary Wharf has a formal dress code, however the atmosphere did not reflect this. Particularly in my team, there was almost constant chatter and laughter. Although, I do not think this reflects all teams in the office. The trade floor is very serious and there is little small talk (as I’m sure you can imagine!)

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Danielle looked after us very well! We started at the same time as the summer interns and so we had lots of opportunities to attend social events and network. Throughout the year, we had regular catch ups as a placement cohort in which we had updates on what was coming up. This also gave us the chance to build relationships with the placement students in Glasgow and Bournemouth.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • On starting, we received no formal training. All responsibility for training was giving to our managers and teams. This meant we recieved very different amounts and levels of training. Personally, I was given the chance to complete multiple java trainings and learnt the fundamentals of a few financial instruments, especially bonds.

    2/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • National Travel

    International Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Working from home

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I will be returning next summer as an intern in technology and I am currently planning to return again as a graduate in technology upon completion of my masters. I am looking forward to returning as I’ll get to experience working in a different area of tech and broaden my financial knowledge.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • Yes, we had weekly team meetings which often started with catch ups on everyone’s lives. We also had regular team dinners and lunches. Personally, I got lunch with the rest of the placement cohort most days. We grew close as a group and often attended talks and networking events together.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • London is very expensive. Rent was a lot and general expenses, such as groceries, coffees and tolietries. Socialising is also very expensive - a glass of wine is about £7 and a pint about £5. However, the salary is matched to these costs and I was able to live comfortably.

    1/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Canary Wharf is full of bars and restaurants. There are lots of offices about and so the bars are normally full and lively every day of the week. Canary Wharf is less than a 10 minute tube into central London. It’s a great location and means that we always had plenty to do after work.

    5/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • I believe there were lots of activities to get involved in however they weren’t very well advertised or easy to find out about. Joining business resource groups meant that I was able to find out about networking events and special talks. If you looked in the right places you could also find lots of volunteering opportunities to get involved in. Some of these are mandatory for interns.

    3/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

London

September 2019


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