Company: J-P-Morgan
Date: 2008-11-24
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

J.P. Morgan . . .  a good place be from
Pros: In the investment bank, the initial training programs are excellent and provide a good career foundation.  J.P. Morgan is a good place to launch one's career out of school (undergrad or mba).  Due to the firm's scale, people do have opportunities to change lines of business to get a better experience.  As such, one can change jobs several times without leaving JPM.  Also, there are some lines of business that are truly world-class and provide tremendous experiences.   The J.P. Morgan experience is valuable in the marketplace.
Cons: The quality of the experience one gets after the excellent IB training program is uneven, and varies greatly by group.  Many managers are ill-equipped to manage, and it results in people not developing, and, ultimately, leaving very quickly.  The firm is also quite political and it has resulted in many people, at all levels, being pushed out.  One must be very savvy about managing their career, because no one else will assist in this regard.  On the whole, people are not treated well or compensated very well (relative to other investment banks).  Despite a public perception to the contrary, JPM is as inhospitable to women, people of color and gays as most other banks.  Even in the investment bank, it is still apparent that the firm has commercial bank roots.