Through the
EVOLVE SERIES, we, the Media Committee, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, strive to exhibit what it takes to excel at the rich internship roles offered by through IIFT. We hope this series would be extremely useful for aspirants and also to all students to envisage a right headstart into their SIP! In today's interview, we have Juhi Dugar with us from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade's Class of 2021! Before we hop on to her interview, here's a brief of her profile:
Internship Company: JP Morgan Chase & Co. |
Internship Role: Investment Banking |
Background: Economics (Hons.) |
Hobbies: Reading books, Travelling
How did you prepare for this role?
Even before the calls from B-Schools had begun rolling in, I had already decided that I would make a career in Finance. Naturally, I had a few companies in my mind where I wanted to intern, and JPMC topped that list. The way to do fulfil this dream, I believed, could be divided into 3 clear parts:
- Gathering company-specific information
- Enhancing my Domain-specific knowledge and skills
- Keeping abreast of what was happening in the world
For the first part, seniors were the biggest help. They were a vast storehouse of information, always eager to help. I had talked to every senior who had interned in Fin roles, even more so in the case of those who had interned at JPMC. During these interactions, my focus was to understand what the processes were like, what kind of knowledge was tested in each round and by each company, and what were the expectations that the companies had from the candidates.
For the next step, I needed to work on my Finance knowledge. Classes were a great help, but I had to separately take up a lot of courses, seek help from my batchmates and seniors, and go through the preparation materials that had been provided by the Placement Committee and Finance club of the institute.
Lastly, the newspapers were a big help. I would spend time every day reading newspapers, magazines and articles. I had a particular interest in the financial sector, so when I went through these, I used to pay special attention.
Your selection process experience for this company:
The process for JPMC is long but a learning experience. At each step, you unravel new elements which help you achieve a different perspective altogether. The entire team of JPMC who comes for the process are very helpful and polite people.
The placement committee and my friends helped me a lot to sail through the entire process. One thing which I feel helped me get through was my confidence, apart from the technical knowledge.
JPMC makes sure that all the candidates get a taste of the culture at the company through its process.
Your overall experience during the internship:
To put it in an extremely simple manner, I would say that the experience was 'Absolutely Delightful.'
The way JPMC managed the entire summer internship despite the pandemic hitting the entire world was commendable. They adapted to the situation quickly and made sure that there were no compromises made in our experience.
The major problem with everything being virtual is that there is a huge scope for shortfall in networking and connections. However, JPMC ensured that the virtual mode of the internship not hamper anything. Every intern was assigned a buddy, who would guide us at each step, and they organised several fun tasks for the interns to encourage us to connect amongst ourselves.
As for my team, it was ensured that I be kept in the loop at all times and stages. I was regularly updated with what the team was working on, telling me how to approach my project and would always be there to listen to any problems that I faced.
Technical skills used:
Apart from the knowledge of finance, for which, the company makes sure, that proper training is given, my role involved the usage of MS PowerPoint and MS Excel.
It is also important to know the latest trends going on in the industry which is being allotted to you. It is imperative that one is updated with all the news about the sector and the industry and keep in touch with the fellow teammates to get into the depth of it.
My personal recommendation would be to take up Any good course to learn advanced MS Excel, it would come very handy.
Factors which you think got you the PPO:
1. Confidence
2. Learning Attitude
3. Hard work
How has IIFT helped you in this internship?
IIFT provided me the platform to reach my dream company. The culture at IIFT is such that people ensure that growth happens simultaneously for all.
I have learned a lot from my peers and had it not been for their help, I wouldn't have made it. People here are ready to go that extra mile to help you in your difficult times.
During my internship, the faculties and the administration people were readily available at all times to lend a helping hand. All the knowledge that I gathered from the classroom and the knowledge transfer sessions from our seniors helped me fulfil my dream.