Drinks and Canapés with JP Morgan
On the 22nd October, OxWIB hosted drinks and canapés with J.P Morgan at George Street Social where members of the society were able to hear about and discuss the representatives’ experiences working in investment banking and in particular working at J.P Morgan.
The ‘speed dating’ set-up of representatives moving around the tables of society members created a lively atmosphere and enabled us to make the most of the range of perspectives which varied both across divisions and seniority in firm. Understanding the differences between working in fast-paced areas such as Rates Trading compared to more long-term and microeconomics focused M&A deals, helped us to consider which roles we would be most likely to enjoy and thrive in in the industry. In relation to J.P Morgan specifically, many representatives highlighted the mobility across divisions possible at the firm. For example, as one representative described her transition from Markets to Asset Management, the opportunities for exploration and career development available dispelled the common concern of inflexibility when choosing a division, sometimes as early as undergraduate internships and graduate recruitment.
Representatives from JP Morgan ranged in experience, from interns to analysts to Vice President. It was especially helpful hearing about one analyst's path to becoming an associate, and why she chose J.P Morgan, having completed both her Spring Week and the Summer Internship with the bank. Having integrated into the bank’s culture by working with the teams and by getting to know both analysts and manager over these programmes, working full time as analyst was a natural progression. As well as asking the analysts why they chose J.P Morgan, it was equally helpful to gain an insight as to where the Vice Presidents see themselves and what they would like to be working on in the next few years given the commonly held view that many analysts and associates leave banks after a few years.
For many of the firms' representatives, working with people – whether clients or colleagues – was the highlight of their job. This collaborative culture was not only mentioned but evident from the interaction between the representatives as one member of the society remarked: ‘The light-hearted and humorous exchanges between the co-workers was not what I was expecting but made it easier for me to imagine doing well in a similar team and getting on with my colleagues’. Diversity, focusing on women, was also a thread running through multiple conversations during the afternoon, in terms of how J.P Morgan is encouraging more women to consider careers in the Financial Services Industry through their ‘Winning Women’ program and maintain the equal ratio at senior roles through their Women’s Interactive Network.
JP Morgan are taking applications now up until the 25th November. They assess on a rolling basis so get your applications in fast and you can apply to up to 3 positions at a time.
