Front Office Spring Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight, for it provided both the practical elements of an insight, including that of an M&A case study in banking to work shadowing and a trading game in markets, alongside the theoretical aspects. I feel that both were balanced to the extent that there wasn't an overdose of information, yet it felt engaging.

I felt very valued right from the get-go, as we were instantly put in contact with some of the most senior members of Barclays Investment Bank, be it the CEO of M&A for Europe or a lead trader. The fact that they spend so much time and invest a lot right from the lowest level of interns gives you an idea as to how much they're willing to value you and help you develop.

The guidance provided was the right amount considering the number of students and the amount of time available. There was a thorough overview of what the banking and the markets side of the investment bank consisted of and sessions were provided in near enough every single sub-section to allow us to make an informed decision as to which area was suitable.

Beyond the theoretical side, we had sessions in leadership and in public speaking, all of which help to contribute to the final project of the week (the group debate) where we were tested on these skills. Bar the final project, these skills I feel can be easily transmuted into other areas of student life, such as for societies, and are thus very helpful. However, I do believe such sessions could be easily provided at any session regardless of it being an insight or not.

The insight was very well structured, what with there being a phone app providing a timetable prior to the week occurring so that the spring-weekers knew where, what and when sessions are taking place. I also commend the varying start and end times for each day, as it helped bring a bit of variety with regards to how much work and research we're able to do outside of the sessions.

In general, the senior staff and workers at Barclays provided a very professional yet supportive environment for us to learn and work in. Besides this, they actively encouraged us to participate and network as much as possible, as information is in the hands of those who work in their respective divisions. There was a sense of competitiveness which helped to stir on performance amongst all spring-weekers.

The company invested a lot of time and resources into us spring-weekers to ensure that not only did we come out of the week understanding the ins and outs of Barclays Investment Bank, but that we were equipped with key skills to ensure robust performance in whatever we do beyond the week. For instance, they provided us with a separate leadership and public speaking workshop. They also encouraged us to network extensively to develop our networks further.

Whilst we did gain a theoretical foundation of banking and markets, we didn't get as much an insight into what an analyst might do on a day to day basis, since it varied for every division. However, we did get this in work shadowing, which covered two sections of markets that we chose. This leads me to assume that we should utilise further research to understand the day to day life of those in other divisions.

This is one of the most important aspects to me, and Barclays promoted this very well. The British nature of the bank can be seen right from the start, and such a supportive friendly culture really promoted the idea of having a long-term career at Barclays, and appealed to me greatly in this case. This came mainly through the networking sessions.

It really put a solid foundation as to how an investment bank, and a bank in general, operates and the importance of banks in our economy. Besides this, being able to network one to one with current employees to get a feel for how they work and how it's so interesting really stirred me on to further research this field.

We were reimbursed travel expenses and paid £250 at the end of the week to cover all other costs. We were also provided accommodation if we lived 1 and a half hours away from Canary Wharf.

There was ample opportunity to meet with employees, during networking expos and speed networking sessions at lunch.

They were very well organised and we were actively encouraged to ask engaging questions beyond the sessions, through LinkedIn or via email.

Not as much.

I would definitely recommend this insight, especially to those whom don't have as strong an understanding of the investment bank as a whole, as it provides the whole Front Office in one week.