Emerging Technologist Review

I have very much enjoyed my time here at Barclaycard - it was an insightful experience into the underlying technology behind the bank, whilst still being a challenging and engaging 9 week period. The people are all very supportive and very much contribute towards the enjoyment of the overall experience.

Throughout my time here at Barclaycard I have consistently felt valued by my colleagues, both in terms of providing opinions and being given the opportunity to provide meaningful value, through a series of assigned responsibilities. It is very much an opportunity which is enhanced through throwing yourself into the deep end!

I could not have asked for a better line manager - they were very supportive throughout the whole process, in terms of everything from ensuring I was consistently busy and had meaningful work to do, right through to making sure I( had appropriate access to each of the systems required for the day to day activities. The wider team was equally supportive, and willing to -provide explanations and overviews of various systems when required.

I have consistently been busy throughout my experience - days where this started to get rather packed was in all honesty more my fault as I enjoy having to balance work effectively. Despite this, I was consistently able to keep on top of the work, being given a constant stream of interesting jobs to carry out.

Whilst I still had support available when required, I was happy to be given a task - at times vital to ensure delivery of the project - and to run with it to completion. It is meaningful to be trusted with a task that is mission essential and yet also generates tangible value - yet another reason I have enjoyed my time so much!

Very much skills learnt here go well beyond that taught at uni; particularly the opportunity to develop soft skills that are vital for the business world - to the extent we even had workshops on personal branding and body language! The technical skills developed will equally help me in whatever role I pursue.

Given that I would have attached a rather serious/sombre expectation to Barclays given it is a Bank, I was pleasantly surprised at how pleasant the atmosphere was. While there are obviously high professional expectations, the dress code is business casual, with senior management always available for a quick chat - a nice general environment.

At times the on-boarding for the internship was slow - particularly with accessing a laptop to carry out work and ensuring I had access to systems that were equally critical to day to day work. Despite this the internship was well structured and planned, after teething issues were resolved - such as regular meetings, buddys, mentors and networking opportunities.

I had access to several enjoyable development workshops, as well as an intensive initial 2 days training session to ensure everyone had a good level of knowledge on financial markets and various specifics related to a job in Barclays. The extent to which training was implemented over the 9 weeks pleasantly surprised me.

Future employment prospects are truly stellar, with the internship program acting as the primary talent pipeline for individuals to gain access onto the graduate scheme. The graduate scheme is hugely expanding over the next few years with a variety of jobs and locations available - it is the perfect time to get an internship with Barclays!

There were some networking opportunities available to the interns, mostly focused around work - such as work shadowing opportunities and peer-to-peer learning sessions. However, in terms of social support there was not a huge amount other than 1 networking event - the interns worked between themselves to establish social group in the office.

I was based in Northampton, which is very much a cheap area to live - rent itself in the area is very much affordable as is the cost of living in terms of day to day groceries. Indeed, travel is cheap as well with many interns commuting from their uni accommodation.

There are a decent number of bars in the center of town, and I have been told there are a number of night clubs in addition. However, there is no pubs or bars within walking distance of the office, and I did not spend a huge amount of time seeking nightlife in the town centre.

Barclays has a citizenship program which it has rolled out as part of its values initiative. Assuming someone takes the time to research and find opportunities they would like to pursue, there is plenty of support in place for additional actives, especially around community work and voluntary work in the local area.