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All of the activities on the Spring into Operations programme were enjoyable and gave an insight to the company and the function of Operations. I went in with little knowledge about roles in the sector and have left with a thorough idea about the skills, mindset and values required. There were many chances to engage with staff on all levels, from recent graduates to senior management, and the ability to ask questions at any time. Everyone was very positive and welcoming.

The fact that so many senior staff took the time out to interact with us definitely gives the impression that we were valued. There was also a focus on ensuring a well rounded programme for us by providing social events as well as CV and assessment centre workshops. There was individual feedback provided in these sessions which ensured we could all grow from these sessions.

The HR staff were brilliant - always there to ensure we weren't lacking anything and also answer a multitude of questions about anything we could think of. The most useful activities were the assessment centre practice and the chance to shadow graduates. There was individual feedback on our group work assessment exercise. Shadowing graduates also exposed us to their colleagues and managers so there was a chance to ask questions to a variety of people in a different environment. There were also sessions to build our skills in presenting, our CV's, and how to network. One thing there is little guidance for is all the technical terms - be sure to make a note of them all and Google ASAP to get a grasp of them. You sort of get used to it after a bit.

The networking opportunities were frequent and definitely helped. It is reiterated multiple times through the presentations and questions asking the skills, mindset and values that are looked for in employees and so I know how to present my experiences to reflect this, which will be particularly useful when I apply to future opportunities with J.P. Morgan as well as any other companies. It's hard to get a grasp on technical job specific skills, probably because the range of roles in operations is so broad.

Everything was well structured with an adequate amount of time allotted for everything planned. The only bug was there were quite a few times were we were left to mingle while things were set up in the main room. These were useful chances to talk to our peers but some of the breaks went on slightly longer than expected.

Really positive! Everyone on the programme was friendly and we definitely grew closer than expected in the short space of time. All of the staff were welcoming and open to questions. Nothing was too rushed and speakers gave thought to our questions to answer thoroughly. It didn't feel artificial in any way.

Considering the short span of time there was a well rounded agenda. The sessions were shadowing, presentations on how Operations fits into the business as well as a couple of department specific presentations, a grad Q+A panel and skills building sessions on networking, presentations, CV's and assessment centres. The range of people we had an opportunity to speak to shows the thought put into ensuring we get a wide view of the firm. There was also a social event. I would have been nice to understand specific roles in depth as a good general overview was provided but even asking people about their day to days tended to yield rather generic answers.

As I said, there is a good overview of operations and you really get to understand the breadth and mobility offered. The work shadowing was the only real opportunity to see someone's day to day as many of the senior members fell back on the generic answer of every day is different, which is understandable I suppose, as it's the nature of their role, however this is probably why so many of us would like more activities similar to the shadowing as that's where we'd start off.

"First class business in a first class way." It helped to dispel the idea, for me, that banks are all cut throat. Everyone was friendly and had praise for the firm's culture, even in comparison to previous places of work. You definitely get the idea that everyone is highly driven and work focused, but they know how to separate their work and social lives to maintain a balance.

Definitely looking to go further in operations as a result

Those from outside of London had accommodation and travel paid for but if you already live in London then travel is only reimbursed over £20

Countless. Each day had time dedicated to talking to people working at the firm. On the first day there was the work shadowing, which allows you to talk to graduates and find out about their journey, as well as their colleagues when you go to their desk. There was a grad panel Q+A which had a variety of backgrounds present and a chance to talk to them over lunch. There was an afternoon tea on the third day which rotated senior staff to talk to us in small groups in addition to informal networking.

You have the chance to see so many people face to face and build a good understanding through it. Lots of answers were repeated from multiple people which I guess emphasised the importance of these key things. The social activity on the first day was so much better than expected - the organised games were fun and the event really dispelled any lingering awkwardness.

There are BRG's, and the annual company sponsored charity run. There are also so many facilities like a gym and eateries all within the building.

Definitely. It gives you an unparellelled insight, an opportunity to decide if it's the right path for you and build a network early on. Certainly puts you in an advantageous position for future opportunities.