Huge congratulations to Michael who, after a successful internship, secured a place on J.P. Morgan's graduate scheme. In this success story Michael discusses why he wanted to become an investment banker, his role as an intern and what advice he would give to his fellow Bright Network members.
Why did you apply to J.P. Morgan?
I applied to JP Morgan as it is one of the world’s largest investment banks and, as I have aspired to become a trader since the age of 12, I thought this would be a great place to start my career. I started trading at the age of 12 along with several other entrepreneurial activities. Trading initially was one of my worst ideas with my first investment going terribly wrong; however, this ignited my fascination with the markets and sparked my enthusiasm to find a way to at least break-even. After saving hard for 4 years, I then started trading daily from the age of 16.
What work have you done on your internship?
My projects have varied between examining how certain stocks have affected each other over the past few years to investigating current trends. The purpose of these tasks was to generate new ideas as well as improve the efficiency of how the desk operates. Often my work was sent to clients (after being assessed by my colleagues) which was challenging but also extremely rewarding.
However, before all of this we were given an intense training period during the first week as well as a day in Bloomberg’s office to ensure we can hit the ground running when we join our team.
What was the application process like?
After meeting J.P. Morgan at my careers fair, I applied for a ‘J.P. Morgan Dinner’ which was being held at my university. Fortunately, I secured a place at the dinner along with 12 other students and 5 J.P. Morgan representatives. The dinner was a great opportunity to learn about the J.P. Morgan representatives' experiences at Warwick University as well as learn more about their roles, education and aspirations.
Later, I met one of the representatives at another separate networking event. From there I was invited to an assessment centre which consisted solely of individual interviews.
What three tips would you give to your fellow Bright Network members?
- Never give up - I may have secured a job at J.P. Morgan but I have previously been rejected on numerous occasions, don’t let it stop you chasing the dream!
- Never underestimate hard work - There are plenty of intelligent and talented people out there, especially on programmes that are competitive. Focus on working hard and giving 100% of your effort, this will make you stand out and enable you to add as much value as possible.
- Improve efficiency – This is a great way to add value and to show you’re forward-thinking. Write down any complaints you hear from your colleagues and think about how you might fix them, even if it’s just simply a case of putting them in contact with other people.
What was the hardest interview question you faced?
At another investment bank, I came to the end of my interview and I asked the interviewer “What advice do you have for someone aspiring to be in your position?” and the interviewer responded with “You’re going to need to apply to more places”. I ended up getting that offer but he clearly said that to test me and see if I’d break down or not.
