Student Review

I absolutely loved my Winning Women Insight Week. I would recommend the Winning Women Programme to anyone who is unsure of which division of banking they want to work in. Since you receive an introduction to every division that offers internships and grad schemes, it is an invaluable opportunity to find the place that suits you.

One of the key points of emphasis during the programme, was that J.P. Morgan is passionate about each individual's success. All the employees are very interested in getting to know who you are and what makes you special, which creates a great sense of value. There is mutual respect from the very beginning and employees from top to bottom are beyond approachable.

Firstly, there is a great deal of support from the graduate recruitment team across divisions. They operate under "There is no such thing as a stupid question", which makes you feel comfortable from the start. Additionally, we were constantly engaged in talking to employees from all levels of the firm, who were consistently encouraging and open to any questions/concerns that we have. All in all, the environment in J.P. Morgan was very pleasant and not confirmative of any preconceptions people may have about such large banks.

The programme has taught me to identify my strengths and weaknesses to an even further extent than was I was able to before. This will be extremely useful when imagining which career path I see myself pursuing. Furthermore, despite already being quite comfortable with networking, the constant exposure to networking situations during the programme has highlighted how crucial it is to one's success. In terms of my degree studies, the programme will help to keep me motivated to do well and to continue to seek information about the industry. Since the programme allowed me to see my academic knowledge being put into practice, it also increases dedication to my studies.

The insight week was very structured from beginning to end. On our first day we received a full handbook, which not only included a detailed programme, but also included an overview of each sector, a brief introduction to each participant and a "jargon buster" with useful words and phrases. The arrangers were also good at keeping us up to date even before the insight week started. As the week was approaching, we were sent emails to inform us of what to bring and our programme for the first day. We were also given recommended articles to read as preparation, which I found very insightful.

As already touched on, the atmosphere between the attendees and the employee representatives was very pleasant. I would also like to stress that the atmosphere between us women who were selected for the programme exceeded my expectations. Everyone was friendly, interested and helpful. I would definitely say that I have already made friends for life.

The firm is dedicated throughout the process to invest in our success. During the very first point of contact, I felt that I was in very good hands. The entire experience has been first-class, which perfectly aligns with the motto of the business.

By interacting with employees from Analyst level to Managing Director level and by being able to ask questions to each, has given me a much clearer idea of what a full time role with J.P. Morgan entails.

The company culture was continuously stressed by the employees. Even in situations when it was not highlighted through words, it shone through in their personalities and ways of interacting with us.

To a certain extent, I have been confirmed in my area of interest, however I have also gained additional interest in other areas that I did not think of before my insight week.

I was reimbursed expenses for travel and accommodation was offered for attendees who required it.

Every day we had some form of networking. It was either through formal networking events at the end of the day or it was in the form of "Speed Networking" during our informational sessions on each business area.

There was a pub quiz on our first night, however there were breaks throughout the day where we were able to socialise and get to know each other on a more informal level. As mentioned, there were plenty of networking opportunities during the week.

We were introduced to the different Business Resource Groups within the company, which closely compare to societies at university. We were introduced through a networking event where we had the chance to talk to representatives from various BRGs.

Yes, I would definitely recommend the insight week to a friend.