Being the best intern you can be is simple but requires a lot of effort. My name is Arielle and I’ve learned a lot being a Global Enterprise Technology (GET) intern for JPMorgan Chase these past few months, and I want to share some of what I’ve learned to hopefully help you along your career. Before I get into that, let me give you some background. I am a rising senior at the University of Delaware with a double major in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Accounting and I have been working for JPMorgan for a year now and have been participating in the GET program since January. Now, I don’t consider myself any expert but throughout the past year with JPMorgan, I’ve come across a few tips that I think will help you with your future endeavors!
Brush up on your Excel Tricks!
Knowing your Excel knowledge and bits of visual basic can make you look like a superstar. This is such an easy thing to do but so many kids come into their internships forgetting their basics. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to help other interns write simple macros to facilitate their work. Knowing the basics allows you the potential to reduce inefficiencies in the way current processes are done when run through Excel. You could develop something simple that will make a huge impact on your team! If you ever find yourself needing good excel tips, check this guy out because he is great! You can sign up for his weekly emails on great tips and tricks to help you throughout your experience.
http://www.theexceladdict.com/
“If you don’t ask, then you don’t want”
Through the GET program, we are all paired with a senior mentor in the firm. Mine is particularly awesome because she always will make time to sit and give me advice. One of the most impacting words of wisdom my senior mentor gave to me was “If you don’t ask, then you don’t want”. She was referring to asking for feedback to continuously improve. Many people have a difficult time taking constructive criticism so don’t let that hold you back in your career. Think of it this way, if someone is pointing out ways for you to improve, they see potential in you. Take that as a compliment and keep asking those around you because there is always room for improvement and always something new you can learn.
It’s your Time to Shine
You hear it all the time but your internship is your one chance to show the firm what you’re all about. If you’re bored, don’t just sit around fiddling with your thumbs. Go to your manager and ask for more responsibilities. If your manager doesn’t have stuff for you to do, take that as your opportunity to meet with other people on your floor, in your team, or in other teams. Find out and learn what other people do. People love to talk about themselves so they are more than willing to sit with you for a half hour to show you what they do during their day. This is one of the simplest ways to network and to get your foot in the door. It shows that you have initiative to go out and learn more than what is expected of you which is something that will put you ahead of your competition. And sometimes, you might even find that the people you meet with are doing something that you will want to do one day.
To Review
No matter if you like or dislike your internship, no experience is bad experience. Continuously look for improvement in yourself and work above and beyond what is expected of you because I promise you’ll go far. Remember, you were recruited for a reason so take it seriously because this is the path to your future career.
So now that I have given you all of my wisdom from my internship, tell me what has been the best piece of advice someone has given you?
Contact Me!
Feel free to email me at amboyle@udel.edu with any questions or comments you have. I’d love to hear from you!