Summer Analyst Review

The internship was great at introducing me to Barclays and some of the work the Credit Risk team undertake. I was able to meet a range of people and expand my network, building up an impressive range of contacts. The main projects I had to work on were topical and challenging and there were a range of extra opportunities provided to me by either the Graduate Resourcing team or my own team.

My team in Credit Risk were very welcoming, each of them taking the time out to introduce themselves and explain some of their current tasks, all within the first week. The work I was helping on was vital to the team and they were grateful I completed my projects quickly and accurately. Other people within the Group who reached out to me for queries were also happy I could help and I received positive feedback from those I aided.

Whenever I needed something clarifying I was able to reach out to my line manager who would happily talk through the specifics of what is required. My team was great at providing me with a range of helpful tips whenever I reached out to them. Other team members - not working on my projects - could also help with more general queries about the logistics of the workplace. Grads I reached out to were also helpful in explaining some concepts I had questions around.

The workload was varied. Upon joining I had a multiple things to juggle, a large amount of reading and a lot to keep me busy. As we entered the fourth/fifth week an external project my line manager passed on to me took up a lot of my time. This was actually great because I was able to fill my otherwise empty week with work. Towards the end of my internship, I had more spare time as the team went on holiday/annual leave. I was keen to fill the time with shadowing sessions,networking opportunities and ad hoc projects as I finished the two main deliverables, but I still had some gaps in my days.

My two main projects were to be presented to the board or ExCo, which shows I had a large amount of responsibility to ensure these projects were delivered to a high standard. The ad hoc projects were also forwarded to the CROs of relevant departments, and this didn't faze me but it was exciting to work on projects, with a little help from others in the team, that were so vital to the Group.

The training received on the first day around business skills was quite basic and familiar stuff that helped refresh some principles that come naturally to me. The financial markets training was also useful, but the focus on the IB side of things, and the lifecycle of a trade took up a lot of the session. Alongside my work, I completed training through the Risk Academy, such as the Risk Passport, that was helpful at giving a brief overview of the Market Risk function. The training provided, by nature, will be more useful beyond my degree, and hopefully in the Gradute Scheme.

The atmosphere in the office was friendly and there was a spirit of collaboration. The team quiz social I organised helped me move past the purely professional relationship, and the team valued this. There was friendly conversation that you could always join in with, but not too overpowering as you could still focus on your tasks,

There was good organisation of the work placement. Before joining we were kept informed of the key individuals that would support us through the scheme (e.g. Buddy, Mentor etc.). The joining process was smooth and the transition into the firm was seamless. As we went through the internship, there were occassional slip-ups with organisation and some emails around citizenship/extra projects I had to be forwarded from other Risk interns. I also was not informed about required training by HR and after clarifying this with them - who said this was not rqeuired - I found out through my own research the training was mandatory, but otherwise the organisation was good.

We received training at the start of our internship, and there was a wealth of resources through the learning platform and Risk Academy that aided my personal development. These varied from in person courses, to webcasts, to online training and completing the Risk Passport was a great exercise in understanding the areas of Risk outside of my team.

Provided I receive an offer, I would definitely take the opportunity to join the Graduate Scheme. Beyond this, the chance to advance through the ranks of the organisation is there and the career progression opportunities do interest me. The industry and area of Risk are what excite me and I felt welcomed by everyone I met.

The other interns were able to meet up regularly outside of the office during the week and at weekends. The social events were not provided by the bank, apart from an end of term party, but this gave us more flexibility. The majority of the colleagues in my team had to travel in and out of London to be with their families so I didn't socialise with them after work much; although, the quiz social I organised was a great opportunity to see the team in a more informal environment.

As a university student in London, I was able to continue the tenancy of my term-time flat through the summer at a rate of around £160pw. London can be expensive to live in, but coffee and lunches within the office were subsidised (costing about £4 for a subway style sandwich) which helped budget effectively.

Around Canary Wharf, nightlife was limited due to the fact the majority of the space is occupied by office buildings. In London the nightlife is great, provided you plan and know where to go (some of the other interns were unable to find clubs that suited their taste unless those who knew London were able to give a bit of input).

There were a couple of events that I was invited to outside of work. Some of the interns started a 5 a side tournament that others were happy to join. Through my networking I was introduced to the interbank LGBT forum, which hosted a networking session that I found interesting and useful.