Summer Analyst Review

My internship allowed me to enter a field that I have never been in. The learning curve in investment banking is rather steep and I am glad I chose Barclays to begin my IBD career. The work is hard and the nights are long but the learning is worth it. I enjoyed my work place thoroughly and would gladly do it again.

My colleagues regularly took input from me and allowed for a creative license when making slides. When it came to financial valuation, they made sure that all my work was checked and was corrected. This was very welcomed by me because I would only feel confident contributing to an area which I am well-versed in.

Management and supervisors were very ready to give support where necessary and also give advice/room for improvement. Due to the busy financial season, they were also very busy and sometimes unable to help. Apart from that, I thoroughly appreciate their effort and help. My line manager regularly visited my desk and enquired as to how I was progressing, what I was learning and whether I needed assistance.

As I interned during a very busy financial season, I was consistently busy throughout my internship. As usual to IBD hours, there were nights that often turned to early mornings but those are expected with a job in this sector. IBD is often said to be a lifestyle change as opposed to simply a career. The hours, the unpredictability of the hours all come in hand-in-hand with this job and it is important to understand that before entering this job.

During the internship, I was given the responsibility of organizing a team event, making valuations, designing slides etc. I was given responsibilities that I would probably not have given myself. Fortunately, the pressure allowed me to thrive and in the end, they were very much impressed with my output. Another thing about this job is the pressure that you will be put under. It is occasionally intense but as expected with this role.

As I have graduated, the skills I have developed probably won't be realized for education, but I have learnt a lot about finances and how to manage them. I am grateful for this learning experience that this internship has given me and I look forward to learning more in IBD, especially at Barclays if given the job offer.

The floor is generally very busy during the days. In the morning it is quiet before the seniors come in. During lunch time, people try to socialize as much as possible and during which the atmosphere is very active and people open up a lot more. Between lunch and dinner, the atmosphere is intense as people try to finish the work set as soon as possible.

The internship was well organized overall, with occasional socials, mostly appropriate deadlines and internal deadlines. The case study took up a considerable amount of time and despite that, there was heavy workload from other parts of the floor which meant that sometimes very late nights were regular occurrences. While this is likely, it is not inevitable.

The team would make sure that we were appropriately trained before setting certain assignments. If the training was unclear or there were certain parts that we didn't pick up on, they would happily go over it again. At the same time, the training was very broad meaning that it was often the case that some of us would not get the assignment and it would often be explain again.

Within the organization, the future employment prospects are rather large with many people going on to gaining jobs as a full time graduate at the firm. If the lifestyle change is adjustable, then most people will thoroughly enjoy this job. The salary is exceptional and the graduate offer opens up many avenues in to the corporate world. Most people would appreciate an investment banker on their pay role.

While the social scene was not really visible during busy periods (very often), there were many times that the whole team would be encouraged to go out to the local pub or bar for a drink. While this happened 4 times during my 10 week internship, it is simply because the team I was in worked very hard and were very busy. There were times when the VP and MD came out for a few beers too.

Cost of living is particularly high in this area. Possibly the most expensive in the world, when put in terms of accommodation cost. I would thoroughly advise living close to your place of work. Personally, I despise travelling a long way to work. I would much rather pay some extra money to live in a place that is walkable. In terms of socializing, the prices aren't too bad but it is definitely much more expensive than student nights.

Very bustling and very expensive. Usually, we would venture out in to the city to socialize and participate in the NightLife there. The nightlife in Canary Wharf is tailored to the rich and corporates - there were many bars serving exotic drinks and pubs that tried to look rustic. Overall it is a lovely place to go out if one is willing to spend a lot of money.

There was an offsite event organized by the office which I helped with. This part of the internship was very fun and allowed me to see the rather fun side of all my colleagues. I believe team building sessions like that are vital to the progress of a team. While I wish there were more offsite activities, I am glad for the one we had. We went to a golf course and had a few drinks as part of the event - food, drinks and golf was paid for.