Prarthana Mukherjee: Our second year MBA student specializing in Finance shares her Internship Experience at JP Morgan Chase & Co.

“Good things are going to happen” - these were the only thoughts running through my mind on the first day of my internship at JP Morgan Chase and Co. Despite having work experience of two years, I was as anxious and excited as a newbie to start my new journey. And after two months I can finally say it was beyond my expectations.

Today as I sit here recounting my experience from the internship I just have two words to summarize it; “Enriching and Fun”. Starting from the first day itself, I was given a set of objectives to complete and clear expectations from me were outlined. I worked with a team from the domain of Risk Management. My work entailed me to review different risk and capital calculations from all lines of business across the firm. Throughout the process, I learnt various new financial concepts and about the banking industry as a whole. One of the great things that I liked about the firm was how, in spite of being an intern, I was treated just like any other full-time associate and got relevant and meaningful tasks which were crucial and beneficial to the team. The most memorable experience was when I was given an opportunity to present my work in front of the whole team and department head. This made me feel that I was actually an important part of the group and my contributions counted. Another highlight of my internship was the fact that my team and colleagues expected me to take independent decisions on the review assessments. I was given full freedom during my interactions with several stakeholders at a time which I believe has helped me a lot to strengthen my interpersonal skills.

Now the fun part, I would like to say I had one of the best teams to work with. JP Morgan, in general, boasts an awesome work culture and friendly atmosphere. I would like to say it lived up to the reputation and more. Not only is there a sense of camaraderie in the air, people here love their job. Although I was just an intern, everyone from my team made me feel at home. The openwork culture encouraged dialogue and the free flow of ideas effortlessly. Each and every idea, effort and contribution are valued and appreciated. Having been part of the organization, I can firmly say it is one of the best places to work at where Mondays don’t feel blue.

The past summer has made me realize that I was right to choose Finance as my specialization. JP Morgan Chase and Co. was one of the best places that I could have interned in and I truly have learnt a lot. I have gained deeper insights into the banking industry and different functions related to the lines of business and it has helped me significantly with my career planning. My biggest takeaway would be the new long-term relationships and connections which I forged with my colleagues and fellow interns at the firm.

To the two awesome months that I called Internship, CHEERS!