Job Title Review

I found it quite challenging and would advise involving yourself in different additional projects as they are a great way to make yourself known and to build your network. The work was interesting and incredibly dynamic! From the start of my internship to the end I was able to see the immediate aftermath of Brexit, the coup in Turkey and the focus on the Italian Banking system, all of which were unique experiences from a Risk point view. I was given the opportunity to do some work unrelated to finance as well, as there was a Citizenship programme that involved helping a charity solve a practical issue they were facing. With my charity we worked on how to operate on social media and I found this to be a nice contrast to my finance orientated work.

I felt like the team genuinely enjoyed having me there, and that I produced work and contributed to the output of the team. The team had a great sense of humour and were incredibly interesting. I was invited to team socials and I cannot fault them for a single thing. My unique mix of formality and eccentricity never was an issue and I am genuinely sad to leave their team.

My direct manager was, and I don't say this lightly, amazing. I was also supervised by most members of the team and thought they were all very supportive. One of the best qualities I found from the management is that they were clear on what I needed to achieve and gave me good advice on how to best do it. I was then allowed to approach the task from any way I saw fit and provide my conclusions, so I was given a large amount of leeway and independence.

I found I was able to well manage all of my objectives and commitments. My team normally worked from 0830 to around 1800, and I wasn't expected to work more than them. I found how busy you are depends on how well you can manage time and how proactive you are in the internship. One of the most important things is to meet people and build a network and in my 9 weeks I met around forty people over half/one hour coffees and structured meetings.

An almost intimidating amount! All of the work I produced impacted the bank in some shape or form. My day to day role involved creating reviews of counterparties the bank did business with and justifying the appetite of the bank to deal with them. Of course all of my work was reviewed and vetted before being acted upon which helped relieve pressure but I did feel like my work had a large impact.

I study a very specific Risk degree so I found the work has been beneficial in this regard. I have come away with several dissertation ideas from my internship and the experience of working in a professional environment has been invaluable. I have also found Risk in a Bank to be very different from the Risk in a hedge fund and vice versa. Finally, I think the people I have met and the network I can build from this opportunity is going to be the most valuable part of the internship.

Whilst the atmosphere was friendly and interesting I think it is important to highlight it is a professional environment and everyone has a job to do, so I think the 10 = "Fun never stopped" is a bit mis-representative. That said, everyone was incredibly friendly and more than happy to engage in a conversation.

The internship was set up quite well, I did encounter some IT permission / access issues but given the 9 weeks I was there I can understand why certain systems were not opened up to me. Otherwise I found I had no issues. The HR department had gone to considerable effort to organise a large amount of networking events as well as having a communication platform specifically for interns.

I think the firm invest in you massively. From a financial standpoint there is your wage, which is generous and as well as helping to subsidise your cost in getting to London, there is also a London living allowance. In terms of time and resources, Barclays has gone to a huge effort (and expense) to make senior management approachable. In my time at Barclays I have had the opportunity to speak to over 20 employees Director Level and above whilst the interns were given an exclusive presentation by the CEO of Barclays and given the chance to ask questions to him.

Future employement prospects are excellent within Barclays with a great emphasis on internal mobility and a desire to generate internal talent. My only concern is not with Barclays but with the financial industry. I do not know the impact of Brexit. Fortunately Barclays is perhaps one of the best banks to intern at given its commitment to the British Isles.

The social scene among interns was very good at the start, but due to work they have quietened down however we maintained the occasional refreshing beverage after work as well as social lunches. The social scene with my team was very good, after work we would discuss random topics such as education and Olympics.

Extortionate. London is expensive. It makes me grumpy. Barclays did pay a good wage and there was a good living allowance but I do begrudge paying extortionate prices! Rent was expensive; if you were to live in canary wharf you may well lose money on your internship! This isn't something Barclays or any employer can fix, it is something that you are required to adapt to should you wish to work in London and benefit from the high salaries associated with it. If you can accept a 30 minute commute you can save a lot of money.

The nightlife in canary wharf is quite vibrant, there are a lot of bars and restaurants in the area. The bars are not a great deal more expensive but there is a noticeable difference. Canary wharf has a shopping centre in the centre so most shopping needs are locally available. The buses are good and the introduction of the night tube on the jubilee line would be perfect.

There were many opportunities, both intern specific and those open for all employees so you could view them as networking opportunities. Barclays places a large emphasis on Stewardship and so encourages all of its employees to engage in extra activities. I worked with a charity on media guidelines. The interns also organised a 7-a-side football league so it also depends on how much you are willing to make an effort.