Summer analyst- Investment Banking Review

I really enjoyed the 9 week internship at Barclays Investment Bank. We were trained on the week beginning the internship and also throughout the work placement. There were various opportunities to learn from team members- through both dedicated workshops and also more on the job general guidance. We were given many networking opportunities to meet the most senior to junior members of staff. [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] Overall, the internship was very structured, feedback was prompt, there were opportunities to learn and then demonstrate the skills acquired in live deals, pitches and also the intern project. The learning curve was steep but towards the end of the internship I could evidently see progress in my own skills.

My colleagues were generally supportive and every intern was given a buddy who was the first line of contact if any assistance was needed. The team I was interning in were quite close and held many social events which as an intern I was always invited to. In terms of work, there was always someone to ask if some extra guidance was needed though this was typically one of the analysts on the team. The tasks required of me were always well explained and I was given adequate room to think for myself and deliver final results.

Support and guidance were always available to me whilst on the programme. This was usually from the analysts within the team or directly from the member of staff I was doing the work for. Training materials also gave a good starting point when dealing with more technical work and in terms of more general networking, or broader learning HR were readily available for help with shadowing on different desks and finding suitable people in other teams to reach out to. My line manager also gave me mid-term and final-term appraisals which were very handy in developing skills and knowing how to progress whilst on the internship.

Typically there were very busy and much quieter weeks. Summer is generally a much quieter period and on the most part I always had work, however when there was some extra down time we were encouraged to use the vast amount of learning materials to self-learn and were given long-term projects to work on. The intern project of a complete company valuation also took up a significant amount of time and it was juggling this alongside actual work that made some of the weeks extra busy, however this was all part of the experience.

An adequate amount of responsibility was given to me. Work I completed was often used in client presentations, and in order to build the models full-time analysts made. A lot of the work was research- especially at the start of the internship but after demonstrating the ability to work on more complex items I was given the chance to do this more often.

The skills learnt on the job were very valuable. I learnt financial, presentation, excel and more general soft skills all of which will help me with securing a graduate role and in further education if that is something I decide to pursue after my bachelors. The learning curve was very steep but it has made my time management and people management skills much stronger and has given me a much better insight of what to expect from a graduate role within an Investment bank after graduating.

The atmosphere was very well-balanced in the sense that people were very dedicated to their job but given an opportunity colleagues engaged in general chit chat and talked about the news/new trends etc. Also, Fridays were very chilled with 'casual Fridays' and team drinks. Although the work is based on a sense of meritocracy, colleagues were always on hand to help you out if you were stuck on something or up to grab a coffee if you wanted to get to know them better. The firm has a very strong coffee culture and we were encouraged to network with as many people as possible from all around the bank.

Very well-organised and structured with presentations delivered from all different areas of the bank, structured networking sessions and chance to meet Managing Directors. HR regularly checked in to ensure everything was okay and objectives were being delivered upon. I was given two line managers who organised work for myself and the other interns on my team and who gave me an intern project which I was assessed on.

The other interns and myself were given training as a collective group by a dedicated firm who came in to teach us financial and modeling skills. Then whilst on the desk, the team gave us more personalized training in order to carry out work that was more team-specific. There were also compliance modules to carry out online whilst there. Overall there was a good amount of training given at an intern level.

Given the amount of support given to interns in order for them to attain a graduate offer within the firm the prospects are definitely very appealing. Historically conversion rates have been very high and the firm makes a point to take the majority of its graduated from the intern class. Networking with graduates in the banking cohorts (where the new analysts sit) was key in coming to the conclusion that the bank but a significant amount of effort into investing in each analyst's personal development and on the basis of this I definitely would want an offer to be employed at the firm.

The intern class in banking were very diverse, close and social. We organised many events and always had drinks on Fridays/weekends. I have made some very close friends for life and although there were some competitive aspects to the internship, we could always rely on fellow interns to help out when things were a little intense and to go out for dinners/brunches on evenings/weekends.

I stayed in student accommodation close to the office which was averagely priced for London. In general, the cost of living is more expensive in comparison to University but lunches were subsidised by the office, dinners and taxis paid for if you stayed behind past 10pm. Socialising was more expensive but as to be expected for London.

The nightlife was good, there were events organised by colleagues and intralinks that we were invited to. Venues were typically The Forge, and Kensington Rooftop Gardens. Close to the work place there was the bars/clubs in Shoreditch and Canary Wharf. There was nearly always the opportunity to go out on Fridays.

As part of the internship I took part in the Citizenship project which involved improving the digital strategy of an external charity. This allowed me to build my soft-skills, work on more diverse work and meet interns from other areas of the bank. Other than this there were email chains about taking part in football and other sporting events organised by interns/HR however I did not have the time to take part in this.