Student Intern Review

I was very fortunate to get an insight placement at Barclays. The experience from this programmes has been truly invaluable and has allowed me to understand more about the work involved in banking. Prior to this experience I had limited understanding of what is involved. The whole placement was thoroughly enjoyable.

The staff work at Barclays made me feel really comfortable through out my whole stay. They always ensured that I was making the most and were always very helpful whenever I needed assistance with what I was doing. They definitely put the time and effort to make sure I was having fun.

I was given of guidance to help me with my work. They always made sure I wasn't wasting time, and arranged the timetable so that I was doing something different every day. At the end of every day, there was a one to one session with my supervisor to make sure I was happy with the day.

I feel that I have been able to develop and enhance many skills during my insight programme at Barclays. Every activity I was arranged to do had skills in mind, so for example one day I had to work with a team of Bankers to evaluate the the number of customers enrolled in a particular time period. This allowed me to work on my teamwork skills.

I believe that my insight programme at Barclays was very well structured, in the sense that they always made sure I was getting a good understanding of what its like to work in a bank. One thing that stood out for me was the one to one session at the end of each day to make sure I was okay.

The general atmosphere in the work place was very friendly and I really felt like this is definitely the environment I want to be working in. The staff were always helpful and made sure they were at hand whenever I needed help. It gave the impression that the staff really liked the atmosphere.

Plenty of time and effort was shown by the staff to make sure I was feeling happy and enjoyed my time. On top of this, personal skills and development of character was one of the things emphasised by my supervisor on the first day. They stressed the importance of this for my career success.

I was able to understand the skills needed to do well in this field of profession. On top of this, being there in person and witnessing the work that takes place in this favourable environment, made me appreciate the wonderful atmosphere. I was made to feel welcome by all the staff.

This experience opened my eyes to the field of banking. I was able to observe and take in first hand experience of what it would be like to work in banking, and also appreciate the skills required to thrive in this field. This has definitely helped me with my career path.

For this insight programme, I had to pay for food and travel as I was not paid or reimbursed. But for me I was happy with the money I spent, because the experience and knowledge I was able to gain, definitely made up for this. I would also recommend Barclays for people who are interested in banking.