Getting into J.P. Morgan India SEP Summer Internship 2021

To introduce myself, Hi! I am Deepakshi. I am an Engineering student studying Electronics and Computer Engineering at Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus. I am a 9-pointer student, which is actually a huge deal at VIT. (Since all 9-pointers are exempted from any minimum attendance)

J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. approached VIT for their SEP Summer Internship Program through their yearly Hackathon Code For Good. It is a 2-month internship in three locations across India Hyderabad/Banglore/Mumbai, with a stripend of INR 50,000 per month. Only select universities in India participate in Code For Good. It is a 24-hour Hackathon focused on creating solutions using coding skills for Non-Profit Organizations across India. Along with the hackathon, mentorship by expert employees at J.P. Morgan, goodies, and interactive sessions are also provided to the participants.

It was during my second year at university that the application for Code For Good was released. At that point, all I had was basic DSA knowledge, basic C++, Python knowledge, and SQL Queries knowledge. I had no prior experience with companies interviews or any special placement training.
Before getting to Code For Good Hackathon, all applicants have to go through two rounds.

1. Technical MCQs and Coding Round
This round was focused on checking the basic DSA and coding skills of applicants. The test was held online at one of our University classrooms with formal dressing and a strict invigilator. The platform used was Hackerrank with 10 Technical MCQs and 2 Coding Questions. The difficulty of these questions was easy-medium level.

I happened to answer all 10 MCQs and 1 Coding question completely while for the 2nd coding question I was only able to solve a few test cases. I chose C++ as my language for the coding questions.
Around 2000 students from all four campuses of VIT had applied for the internship. A shortlisting was done after the coding round, however, I am not sure how many students were shortlisted.

2. Video-Phone Interview Round
The second round is more of an HR-video round that focuses on understanding the thinking capabilities, personality, strengths, and weaknesses. This round is conducted online through an app wherein there is no live interviewer but a recorded video speaks out questions and the applicant needs to record themselves answering the questions and uploading the video. The applicant is required to speak clearly in proper English with formal attire.

It was after the Second Round that the Pandemic hit us all and the university was shut down. After a period of a month and a half, a list of 75 students was released that was shortlisted for Code For Good Hackathon. This consisted of only 7 students from VIT Chennai Campus, including me.

I had only 3 months to prepare for Code For Good Hackathon. I dedicated my time to learning Database Management and Front-End Development. I learned SQL querying in detail along with basic HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript.

3. Code for Good Hackathon
Generally, the Code for Good Hackathon is held annually at different locations around the world. In India, it is held in Banglore and Mumbai. However, because of the pandemic, in 2020, the hackathon was held online.

Prior to the Hackathon, we were divided into teams of 67 individuals from different universities from all over India. This division was done based on the skillsets provided by each student. Many introductory and interactive sessions were also conducted.

On the day of the Hackathon, we were introduced to the problem statements by the Non-Profits and choose a problem statement of our preference. Each team was provided with two mentors who guided us throughout the day. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) were also present to clarify any technical doubts. The entire day was spent collaborating and coding remotely with the team. At the end of the day, for each Non-Profit, around 56 teams were shortlisted for the Final Project Presentation which was held the next day.
My team was one of them for our chosen Non-Profit. A formal presentation was then given in front of SMEs and Judges with cross questioning about the features and technology used. Unfortunately, we only made it through to that point. Winners were chosen for each Non-Profit problem statement.

The selection for the Summer Internship is done during the entire hackathon by the Team mentors and SMEs. It is not necessary to win the hackathon in order to bag an internship. The mentors access each individual on their technical knowledge, communication, and social skills throughout the day. They also provide feedback to students so that they can better understand their strengths and weaknesses.

I would like to suggest everyone to focus on learning Web-Development, App-Development, or Machine Learning prior to participating in the hackathon since the solutions are to be made in a 10-hour window itself. The students should also actively participate during the hackathon, seeking help from the mentor and SMEs as and when needed. They should also openly communicate and collaborate with their fellow teammates.

After 2 months of the Hackathon, the results were announced through university mail. 50 students were selected for the Internship from all four VIT Campuses with only 4 students from VIT Chennai Campus, including me. The experience was delightful for me as it was my first stepping stone towards competitive programming, web development, and the corporate world. I am thankful to everyone who supported me throughout the journey and helped me bag this internship at J.P. Morgan Chase and Co.