Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the internship. The work environment at Barclays was very welcoming and pleasant. This is due to the friendliness and approachability of the employees at Barclays. It was very easy to network with people at different levels in the bank and also in different divisions. Furthermore, the culture was very supportive, as demonstrated by the extent of my personal development during the internship.

My team was very supportive and also extremely encouraging. This created an environment where I felt valued by my colleagues, especially my team and line manager. My colleagues were keen to give feedback - both positive and constructive. The time and effort taken to do this by my colleagues made me feel valued.

I was given sufficient support and guidance by my line manger. This ranged from support and assistance in team related tasks to support in my personal development in activities not related to the team. For instance, taking the time to network across the bank or take part in intern-related activities, such as hosting a charity event.

There was a good balance of how busy I was on a daily basis. I was not drowning in work for my team. This was optimal for my professional development, as it left time for me to develop valuable skills and also network across the bank. It also meant I was able to take part in other beneficial activities during the internship, for example hosting a charity event and meeting Directors and Managing Directors.

I was given a good level of responsibility when taking into account that I was only an intern in a fairly technical team. This was aided by the support and approachability of people in my team that meant I was able to easily ask questions to ensure the best piece of work was produced for the team. I carried out work that would have otherwise been completed by a permanent, more senior member of the team, indicating how much responsibility I was given.

The vast range of skills I developed will undoubtedly be valuable for my professional career. These skills ranged from networking, and communicating to collaborating and leadership. These skills can be used during my time at university when working with other people and also whilst carrying out exec positions in university societies. Furthermore, the skills I gained can easily be transferred to future roles I will carry out in my career.

The atmosphere was very vibrant and fun. There was a very dynamic culture, rather than a typical corporate culture. The people were also very vibrant and friendly which led to a pleasant working environment and atmosphere in the office. The atmosphere was also very collaborative and there was generally a happy mood in the office.

The internship was set up quite well. There was fairly good communication from HR, although there is room for improvement. HR communicated with me well before the internship, which led to a smooth introductory phase. During the internship there were plenty of other intern activities that were very well organised by HR.

The firm and my team in particular invested in me a lot. I found that the internship was more about my own personal development, rather than contributing loads to the firm. For an internship, I found this a valuable experience as it led to a vast amount of professional development and gaining of skills.

Future employment prospects within the employment are very high. Following a strong recommendation from my team I have secured a graduate position with them for when I graduate. This is for my current division. The news of the job offer were communicated on the last day of the internship, which was very convenient.

Yes. All the interns got along. This was aided by the networking opportunities at the beginning of the internship during the introductory phases. HR also encouraged a good social scene and relationships amongst interns by organising networking events and other intern activities. As expected the social scene was better amongst interns in the same division.

The cost of living was expensive. However, relatively speaking when taking into account that I was living in Central London, my rent was quite cheap. I had to take the tube to work which meant my cost of travel was high, but for those living close to Canary Wharf they did not have this problem. Socialising in Canary Wharf was fairly expensive, but not extortionate. The cost of living was as expected for living in a city like London.

There are plenty of bars in Canary Wharf, which were good to visit after work. It was a vibrant area and environment after work hours. Shoreditch is also not too far from Canary Wharf and is easy to travel to for those that want to explore the London Nightlife further in bars and clubs.

Given that I was I had a good balance of work set by my team, I found that there was opportunity to get involved in activities outside of work. This was up to the individual and how much they wanted to do outside of work. Overall, there was a good work-life balance and ample opportunity to get involved in activities outside of work.