Conquering the Corporate World: An Interview with Danes Cruz
by Gaye Layda, JP Morgan Chase Campus Recruiter
My experience working with different individuals of diverse backgrounds has not only helped me recognize the importance of teamwork and collaboration in the workplace, but it has also allowed me to gain new perspectives on leadership and communicating effectively.
Ms. Danes Cruz is currently an Associate at JP Morgan-Chase and was an alumna of the Corporate Analyst Development Program (CADP), one of the organization's student programs. She also graduated with a degree in BS Business Economics in 2018. In this article, she shares her experience of the program and how the CADP had helped her brave through the corporate world beyond her.
What has been your work experience like since graduating from college? How about the experience you’ve gained from the program?
When I graduated from college, I joined JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Corporate Analyst Development Program (CADP), which is a two-year rotational program that provides a pipeline of well-rounded future leaders with core business skills for a variety of roles.
CADP gave me the opportunity to explore different functions across the firm’s businesses, where I managed and executed high-impact global projects with a focus on process improvement and analytics. Throughout my two-year journey, the program has greatly contributed to my growth as an early career professional. I was constantly encouraged to think out of the box while providing effective solutions that meet the needs of my internal stakeholders. I’ve also gained new skills in design thinking and root-cause analysis.
My experience working with different individuals of diverse backgrounds has not only helped me recognize the importance of teamwork and collaboration in the workplace, but it has also allowed me to gain new perspectives on leadership and communicating effectively. Having a supportive senior leadership team, as well as direct managers who provided me with real-time feedback and coaching, was fundamental to my personal development.
I must say that my overall work experience at JPMorgan Chase has been nothing short of amazing;
I look forward to more opportunities for growth and learning throughout my tenure.
What helped you adapt to your new responsibilities and in carrying out your current role?
JPMorgan Chase is a firm that promotes a learning culture. I am very fortunate that the company offers various learning platforms and resources. I find time to learn as much as I can and on my own by accessing training materials available to all employees. In addition, my colleagues at the firm are also very approachable. After graduating from CADP and taking on my new role, I knew I had to learn more about the business and the services we provide our clients around the world. However, my teammates have made the transition so much easier and more welcoming, allowing me to reach out to them in case I have questions about the job and providing the help I need whenever I need it most.
What’s your advice to students who’d like to pursue a career in finance and land a similar analyst development program such as yours?
My advice is to research the financial industry and find out which particular area or function you are interested in.
As a college student, I generalized finance as anything related to money. But when I joined JPMorgan Chase, I learned not only about the reach and scale of the financial products and services that the firm offers globally. In a leading financial services firm like JPMorgan Chase, there’s a lot of opportunities to choose a career of your choice in banking, operations, corporate functions, and even technology.