Spring Week Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight week. I had an amazing insight into many of the department within PCB&B. I found it fascinating to see what happens behind the scenes and the innovation that takes place daily at 1CP. I experienced aspects of Barclays which I never even considered previous to the Spring week so, it was a very steep learning curve which I would definitely recommend to anyone that is considering a Spring week.

I felt very valued at Barclays as it felt like they were investing in you personally. I had the impression that they were willing for each of us to succeed and strive to become the best. Any environment that has these features is one in which you feel valued. Another factor was each department within PCB&B presenting on their respective divisions, it was uplifting that they had taken time out of their busy schedules to offer me this insight which I feel honoured to receive. The CEO even took time out to speak to us on the first day. This was very inspiring was from the first day we felt valued and really apart of the Barclays team.

The staff at Barclays are extremely helpful. If I ever had any queries on their roles or any general questions they were always on hand to answer them. I found the senior members within Barclays were really focused on the development on new talent and were more than happy to provide guidance on careers and support if needed. Also, the graduates especially as they had just gone through the process we were going to go through, they had some really good advice.

The assessment group task and the final presentation group task were really useful in developing my teamwork skills. Working amongst my fellow interns with a diverse range of culture backgrounds, it was excellent exposure for me to adapt and work optimally as a team. Many graduates that work in Barclays were very helpful in helping me understand what skills Barclays look for and how I can adapt my skill set to suit their needs. The information I received was extremely thorough and will use this in my studies to become the perfect candidate to work at Barclays in the future.

The Spring Week offered a wide range of aspects to the PCB&B division with many activities we could interact with. I really enjoyed the question and answer time that the Spring Week offered. I think that some days were very presentation focused which I found that it was difficult to maintain focus. If perhaps next year, this was broken down by offering presentations in the morning and a more interactive session such as the work shadowing or challenge sessions in the afternoon. I would find that I would be able to get more out all the presentations and the interactive sessions as I would find it easier to maintain focus.

It was a business atmosphere however, there were opportunities that we were able to have fun. The Networking Event encapsulated the atmosphere of my whole Spring Week experience. I talked to many individuals about their roles plus their thoughts on Barclays and they were very honest and I appreciated that. This in my opinion made the event fun because not only was it insightful but you were not always pressurised to perform. Also, the social aspect amongst interns was fun as, they encouraged you to socialise because it not only showed you had a vibrant personality but showed you were a nice person.

There were many group tasks which helped me because Barclays gave me the chance illustrate my group skills. In certain tasks, I didn't have the necessary skills to lead the team to victory but it showed that I was able to recognise other individuals' strengths to help the team. There were numerous tasks which helped shape an overall view of me as an individual and my strengths.

There was a particular work shadowing day where I saw the day-to-day activities of a different people that work in Barclays. I had an in-depth understanding of each person's role and the staff were really open to being asked questions. I also got to see overall what each division is responsible for the challenges they constantly face. This was really interesting and it provided me with the reality of working in Barclays.

Even though each division has their role to play in the wider context of Barclays, there seemed to a trend amongst the divisions. They were helpful in answering any questions on the trends that we actively noticed. They were also excellent pointing out certain aspects that we weren't aware of, this helped me have a deeper understanding of banking.

The week provided me with a deeper understanding of PCB&B and their roles. If you know your skill set you can match it to whichever role you prefer. Barclays provided me with a wealth of information which was extremely useful as I can now utilise these materials for my future career.

There was a networking event which gave me the optimal opportunity to talk with multiple individuals in the bank and really engage with them. Throughout the week there many presenters that were forthcoming and there were opportunities to network with those individuals too.

I was able to attain a lot of information from the people that I was personally talking with so the for me it was excellent. However, there were a large number interns compared to staff numbers. As a result, often other interns would come into the conversation sometimes hindering the connection you had with the person you were talking with. I understand that the staff took time out there schedules to be there so I definitely made the most out of it aside from the ratio's.

I spoke with many graduates and they mentioned multiple opportunities they have that Barclays offers for them. They were really open had so much to say about what Barclays does for young people within the company.

I have definitely learnt a vast amount in a very short time which has helped me shape my path into banking. I would recommend it even if you are not looking to go into banking as they encourage people with a variety of undergraduate degrees to go on to the Spring week. I absolutely recommend the Barclays Spring Week.