Mokshada Pande: Our second year MBA student specializing in Operations shares her Internship Experience at JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Entering an industry as a fresher with no significant work experience comes with its fair share of moments of excitement, curiosity and uncertainty, and with a company as prestigious as JP Morgan Chase, everything multiplies four folds. My experience at JP Morgan Chase included all those kinds of learning that as a fresher I was somewhat lacking.

At JP Morgan Chase, I was a part of a program called “Corporate Analyst Development Program” which helps the interns to get a comprehensive view of the working of the company. It is not the magnanimity of the brand or the profit margins but the culture of the organization that sets it apart from its competitors in the industry. One can be well assured of the fact that at JP Morgan, the principles related to the organizational culture are not merely on paper but are actions adopted into its daily functioning. From the perspective of a subordinate, the negative “manager” culture is completely eradicated from the system and a motivational “leadership” environment is adopted. This not only ensures a productive environment but also creates an innovation-driven work culture in the company. During my 9-week tenure at JP Morgan, not for a single day did I experience any sort of hierarchical functioning in my team and department.

The first time I walked into the office of the corporate giant I was a little worried about the kind of treatment I might get as an intern and whether or not like the regular employees I would be given critical projects to work on. But with each passing day, through team meetings, general discussions and final project allotments, my team members made sure that even though I was an intern, I didn’t feel left out.

In my team, I was one of the four interns hired under the internship program. Apart from the specific project that we interns were working on, our team members made sure that we become thoroughly acquainted with all the other projects that our team members were working on. They encouraged us to get trained on the different learning modules available on the company’s online platform.

Coming to the other aspects of the internship, the company organized various networking sessions in the form of outbound learning, activity programs and town halls throughout the course of the internship to create better interaction both with fellow interns and industry stalwarts. These included two philanthropic activities and one sports activity. The management also organized regular video conferencing and face-to-face sessions with the top management leaders at JP Morgan to discuss various national and international issues affecting the business world. With all these, the company made sure that the interns get the wholesome experience of working with JP Morgan.

My 9-week journey with JP Morgan broadened my horizons and created a positive foundation for my aspiring career option.