Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ

I did the J.P. Morgan Spring into Operations (London) 2017 programme. This was well-organised, well-thought out and overall a positive experience. You can see that they put in a lot of effort into making sure your experience is fun but useful. You get to talk to staff at all levels (from new grads all the way to executive directors). You get walked through Operations and what it does, and you receive coaching on skills (e.g. CVs, presentations, group assessments). You definitely come out feeling like you've learnt something, but I wouldn't describe the programme as intense. It's pretty fun and arguably laid-back -- the people, both staff and your peers, are pretty warm, and the peeps at JPM know how to run a good social.

Contrary to popular banking stereotypes, I didn't find the experience dehumanising or overly intense / competitive. By the end, most participants had grown fairly close. Hugs were given, numbers were exchanged (and yes, people had their LinkedIn game on). You don't quite get that backstab-ish vibe that people talk about at most similar programmes. With that said, it's a 3-day programme. There's a physical limit to how far you can 'feel valued' in a small span of time...

In terms of understanding exactly how JPM Operations actually works, I think they could've done better. We received presentations and two shadowing opportunities (where we talked to new staff) to learn about the business. I felt that a few of the presentations were overly generic and fluffy without giving a vivid illustration of how work is done. With that said, we did eventually have a few other presentations that were bang-on -- absolutely clear, step-by-step guidance on how everything works. (For HR: Day 2, presentation 3). I found that very useful. With that said, you get to ask a lot of questions and there are a tonne of opportunities to get guidance from staff at all levels. They're quite nice.

One highlight is where they teach you how to handle assessment centres. You run thru an actual group exercise, with mock assessors who later give you feedback on how you can improve. It's one thing to be lectured about how to develop good teamwork skills, but I think the programme here got you to really put things in action, then get feedback quickly after to improve. I think HR should definitely expand this element -- it's arguably the most useful session. You also learn how to structure a good CV, and general presentation skills. The CV session was useful, but the session on presentation skills, while delivered very well, wasn't quite as pertinent.

They cover good ground, overall. With that said, I felt like the first day was underwhelming. You get to shadow actual staff (they take you to their desks, have a chat with you, buy you coffee etc.). This sounds good in theory, but each session felt slightly too prolonged, and comparing with peers, the quality of each shadowing session can differ greatly. If there's some way to standardise the shadowing quality, that would be great. Besides that, you get a cool social event on Day One which is really well thought out. Day Two is decent, but Day Three is where the programme really shines.

It was decent, but there are a lot of gaps between sessions. You get a number of breaks which feel unnecessarily long. You end up lingering outside the main room while they set up and talking with your peers. This is fun at first, but after a while people get tired of waiting around and forcing a conversation, and want to get on with the programme. Beyond that, the atmosphere is relatively relaxed, a bit slow, and un-intimidating.

A number of senior staff give up their time to talk to participants. This is pretty good. You get shadowing opportunities and talks by senior staff. The food is decent, if that's a consideration for you, but don't expect anything overly lavish. The social event is definitely memorable. Beyond that however, you can't really expect too much from a 3-day programme.

I think they could definitely work on this a lot more. Most presenters tend to fall back on vague generalities. There's a lot of focus on 'soft' and generic questions, and generic answers which leave you wondering about the exact details of what your role would be in Operations. Perhaps it's a function of the businesses complexity, but it gets tiring hearing nearly every presenter fall back on the same range of answers -- sometimes when talking with new staff as well, it leaves you wondering if they themselves understand the bigger picture.

I am pretty certain JPM is a relatively healthy place to be in -- all the staff you meet are universally warm and all universally praise the place in drawing comparisons with their previous work experiences. Even in more hush conversations with new grads, it's the same message. You get the picture of a company that works really hard and pushes you, but treats you like a human, gives you opportunity, and makes sure you have a decent work-life balance.

I think the Insight programme's greatest achievement is to expose you to corporate culture and give you some handy skills/knowledge of the business world in general. However, I do not think they quite nail down what being in Operations is actually like. Again, trying to tease out this information tends to be in vain -- most answers stray away from detail and into generalities, leaving you wondering what a person actually does here. With that said, a picture does start forming, albeit slowly.

You do not receive a salary or pay for the Insight programme. Like... why would you? It's literally only 3-days. If you come from outside London, they sponsor your travel and accommodation. Unfortunately, if you live nearby, you'll have to pay your own transport (tube), unless it goes above 20 pounds. I would appreciate a basic stipend of perhaps 5 pounds a day (or at least something) to buffer the cost. Student life -- it's hard. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day, with dinner provided on Day one as well.

Tonnes. You meet with: a) New grads. You shadow two different grads in two different areas within operation. You see their workspace, then have a casual chat with them. They might even buy you coffee if you're nice (and if they're nice). b) HR. The HR people are always mingling around and answering your questions. Lots of opportunities to talk to them if you want, and they're great at clarifying things about applications for future programmes. c) Senior staff. This was arguably the best opportunity. Most senior staff are cool, intelligent people with a lot to share. You get a formal 'rotating' networking session in groups where you meet 4-6 different senior staff, then you get a more casual chat over tea/coffee/cake right after.

They know how to do a good social. Food was great (But messy...), the atmosphere was really chilled and casual. You get to play ping pong with HR, have a casual chat with them, then play some actually fun games as a group a bit later. Networking and social events were one thing they nailed in the programme.

We found out about BRGs and societies within JPM. Some staff shared their own pursuits (e.g. JPM football club). They also talk about volunteering opportunities (they seem pretty big on this). There's not a huge focus on this throughout the insight programme though, nor would I expect it.

If you get it, take it. It's slightly frustrating after the first day. but by the third day you'd probably agree that it's an overall well-put together programme. HR really knows what they're doing, and you'll gain a lot from the programme.