Corporate Banking Relationship Support Review

I have enjoyed it a lot, mainly due to the fact we were looked after really well. We were given a lot of opportunities, and there was definitive structure to the internship. We met with Managing Directors, went to many talks, took part in a Citizenship Challenge, and also had many socials organised for us.

I certainly felt valued by my fellow colleagues, they were willing to take time to explain something to me if I didn't understand it. The team was very welcoming, we even had a few socials such as Karaoke and dinner. Most of colleagues would listen to me, and willing to involve me in their day to day task. The atmosphere was really positive.

Management were very supportive and took time to build a relationship with you. Management would explain things really well, however on first day we were not given an induction into team. We had to pick things up ourselves, which meant having to do a lot of reading and talking to other colleagues, therefore it was ok in the end.

I was kept very due to having H.R objectives as well as team objectives. This meant we had to meet many people in the bank, which was compulsory, as well as attend talks and also complete our team objectives. I had quite hefty tasks, which had to be done again and again until they met the expectations of the line manager.

I was given quite a lot of responsibility, as everything I did was used for something, therefore was actually business critical. I did a lot of work with the company's core operations, meaning all work had a critical deadline and had to be delivered for the business. It was important to ensure everything was delivered to a high standard.

I have learnt a lot of banking terms and understand a lot more about the inner workings of a bank. There was a lot of training available on the intranet which I completed so now I am familiar with accounting terms and also was able to put my studies in context. It was refreshing to hear other employee's views as well on something I wanted to know about.

The atmosphere in the office was good, as it was a client facing role, colleagues were always chatting and bouncing ideas off one another. It was easy to go approach someone, everyone was friendly and open. People were also up for attending drinks after work and also going for lunch together.

The placement was very well structured and provided clear direction. There was a mid internship review and a full induction day plus we received financial markets training. Also events were regularly organised by HR for the interns, we got to go to a lot of events. Furthermore there was many challenges and initiatives which were set up for us.

Personal Development is a big thing at Barclays therefore we always got a lot of support to develop ourselves. We received a lot of training. However as we are only summer interns, we were not considered as valuable by the team as they knew we wouldn't be around for too long. Therefore they were less willing to invest their time in us.

The employment aspects are good, as there are so many roles within the bank, the breadth of roles is very large. However there is lack of manouverability between certain areas. The bank is always changing in terms of structural reform which is a good thing but also leaves you with some uncertainity. You may have to work in an area you don't want to before you get to work in the area you want to.

There was a good social scene, approximately 300 + interns so we met up for socials but of course groups formed and people only went out with their groups. However people were reluctant to organise and it meant that we couldn't have as many big parties as it would have beneficial to have. A spot was generally picked and all interns generally conglomerate around this spot.

The cost was about average for London, but London is not that expensive if you are willing to compromise on area and distance. I live quite near Canary Wharf for convenience sake and can walk to work. It is good to check out the area before you move, as I didn't indentify that there was building work going on in my area.

The nightlife in Canary Wharf is good, we went to a place called the Breakfast Club which had an underground club. This was really good but there are many other places to explore. You will probably not have enough time on a 9 week internship but every Friday and Saturday present an opportunity so it is best to make a real effort.

Yes there is a citizenship agenda at Barclays so you can get involved in many extra cirriculur activities. Of course, it all depends on how busy you are, and how keen you want to be. You will find a lot advertised around the building and it will tell you the date and time you can get involved as well.