Front Office Spring Week Review

The Front Office Spring Week Programme has been the best and the most insightful internship so far in my life. Having a chance to spend a week at the best UK investment bank was a truly outstanding experience, primarily thanks to the efforts of the HR team, who had put everything together and made it run really smoothly.

During the week, a lot of employees took time off their usual tasks and devoted their time exclusively to us. I cannot stress enough how valued it made me feel when members of the firm, ranging from the Analysts to the Managing Directors, spend time with us not only during various presentations, but also at networking receptions.

The insight focused on the Front Office divisions of the firm. Apart from that, we have attended a session with an external speaker. This session focused on how to make the most of the experience at Barclays, and how we should approach people depending on their personality. It proved to be incredibly useful during the Spring Week.

As I am an Accounting and Finance student, I have found the content and the activities which took place during the week very relevant to my studies. I am sure that I will benefit from the knowledge gained during the Spring Week when it comes to writing my university exams later during the year.

On the first day of the Spring Week we received handouts, which laid out a very clear structure for the duration of the programme. What is even more important is the fact that there were no unexpected changes to the agenda, which made it possible for us to fully prepare for each session in advance.

I believe that the atmosphere of such insight weeks depends mainly on the attendants, and the HR team has a limited possibility to make it better. Everyone I met during the week was friendly, and although the competitive nature of the week could be felt at times, people were generally nice and I made some good friends during the week.

On the first day of the Spring Week we all attended a sessions with an external speaker, which focused on developing our personal skills in a practical way. This session has been very useful not only during the remaining part of the insight programme, but will be also beneficial for me in my future career.

Thanks to this insight week I have a good idea of what working at Barclays is like. Having a chance to meet many people from the firm provided me with an opportunity to hear about Barclays' culture from various perspectives. Barclays seem to care a lot about their employees, and I strongly believe it is a great place to work.

Barclays' culture is one of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship, and it has been clearly visible to us during the course of the week. Having observed the members of the firm during the insight programme, I can say that these are not just some cliche words, but they really do shape the culture at the firm.

The programme was particularly useful for those who prior to the Spring Week had been unsure which division they would like to work for. Having a chance to hear from people from each of the Front Office divisions at Barclays made it much easier to decide which career path suits us best.

Not only were we reimbursed for out travel expenses, but we were also paid for participating in the insight programme, which for Spring Weeks is usually not the case. This has definitely made me feel really valued by Barclays. For those located outside London, accommodation of a very good standard was provided.

The networking and social events were just what I expected. On the first day we attended a drinks reception, where we were welcomed to Barclays by a very senior member of the firm; afterwards we had a chance to socialise with employees from many different divisions. Also, there were a few off-cycle interns at that event, who gave me very helpful tips for the interview process.

There was a session devoted solely to various employee networks which organise diverse events for the members of the firm. Representatives of those networks explained to us what kind of activities would we be able to get involved in, should we start our full-time employment or a summer internship at Barclays.

I would definitely recommend this insight programme to my friends, and will do that whenever someone asks me which one of my Spring Weeks was the best experience overall. The Front Office Spring Week at Barclays is especially suitable for those who are unsure whether they want to pursue a career in investment banking, sales, trading, research, or perhaps somewhere else.