Deadline for the best internship in London – 9 days to go

Spend a week with top city firms

The city course

12 – 16 September 2011
Closing Date: Friday 24 June 2011

For full details click here

Visit all of these companies:

• HSBC
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
• Accenture
• Financial Services Authority
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Slaughter and May
• Lloyds of London
• Bank of England

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Insiders guide to J.P. Morgan

J. P. Morgan is one of the world’s largest financial services companies, but what is it really like to work for and how do you get in?

To get to the bottom of these questions I shadowed Caroline Abadir who works on the fast money sales desk at JP Morgan’s London office.

Caroline’s role is extremely fast paced. She sits in front of 6 screens, 2 mics, 2 keyboards, 2 telephone banks and a calendar of the Queen. Caroline’s job is to build relationships with Clients and provide them with the information they need to make sound investments. When the market changes Caroline is the client’s first port of call and they usually want to change things fast. The issue comes when lots of her clients are thinking along the same lines. As a consequence being adept at pressured multi tasking is an absolute must for anyone considering a sales role.

Caroline said that anyone looking at working for a top tier bank needs to be 100% committed and be ready to work hard over long hours. The day usually starts at 6.30-6.45am and finishes at 6pm. JP Morgan graduates are extensively trained for their roles and most will fly to New York for 7 weeks to learn the basics.

So what are Caroline’s top tips for getting in?

• Firstly, know your personality. There are many different roles in a bank, so pick the right one for you. To work in sales you need to be very social, excellent at gathering information, be able to distill key facts, and like working in a pressured environment at pace and with accuracy. For other roles see JP Morgan’s site.

• Prepare for interviews and open days

Nothing stalls your chances of securing employment faster than asking questions that show you have no knowledge of JP Morgan or about the banking industry. Research the sector, bank, department and role well so you can impress recruiters at open days or careers fairs. Be able to ask interesting questions, that show insight and knowledge beyond the web site. Caroline said the Vault Guides are a must for any prospective candidate as they give valuable information on the roles available, salaries, and detailed analysis on each major bank. She also said to expect some tough numerical tests when applying and to get online and do lots of practise.

• Get on a summer internship.

Most of JP Morgan’s graduate positions go to students that have previously interned with them. JP Morgan offer summer placements for second years, they run Spring Week for first years and Winning Women events to encourage female students into banking. These events are a must and show you are serious at pursuing banking.

• Put your personality into applying

When writing your cover letter be interesting, passionate and genuine to stand out from the crowd. Make sure the reader is in no doubt that you have the drive to succeed as well as the character to get along with people and contribute to a team. Remember the people interviewing you may need to sit next to you for 11 hours a day!

Final tips

• Study some economic modules if your degree allows. Although not essential it can help. If you acquire a summer placement see it as an extended interview, but also a real chance to test whether you would suit this career. At all points of the process show a willingness to learn and genuine enthusiasm for your chosen career.

• Visas

International students are encouraged to apply and JP Morgan will do all they can to secure visa’s if a job offer is made.

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