Spring Insight - Banking & Markets Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the placement - more than I initially expected. It was extremely informative and was sometimes difficult to absorb so much information but the mentors and colleagues were extremely approachable which made it an even better learning experience.

I felt like they really appreciated us being there although we were the lucky ones as we gained so much exposure to higher working professionals. Senior colleagues gave up a lot of their time to speak with us and answer any questions we had.

The people who were there for support and guidance were extremely approachable and accommodating. It was a really positive and supportive working environment. We were constantly told that there was no question we couldn't ask.

The week ended with a group debate so team work, communication and presentation skills were developed. We were also exposed to many financial terms and concepts which I had not previously heard of. Since these terms were tackled during case study exercises so we had context, they were much easier to understand and remember.

There were 3 full days and one assessment day. The first day was a general introduction finishing with a networking evening with people from various sectors. The second day was focused on banking and third on markets.

Not only were the employees at Barclays extremely approachable and friendly, my peers on the insight programme were also really nice. There was no sense of hierarchy, and although a competitive environment, everyone was really supportive.

Lots of senior employees gave up hours of their day to talk us through complicated concepts. There was also an 'IDG' session where an employee gave up his afternoon to analyse our behaviour and we completed a personality questionnaire to discover if we were analytical, drivers, expressive or amiable.

Mini case studies, one on banking and one on markets, helped us understand what skills were needed to carry out different roles. We also spoke to a wide range of employees at different levels (some had been there for 30 years some 1 month) to hear about their day structure. We also got a tour of the trading floor which was fascinating.

There was a huge emphasis on how friendly and approachable everyone was which fostered a great learning environment as you weren't afraid to ask questions. This really made Barclays stand out in comparison to its competitors.

Having spoken to such a wide variety of people we heard about different career paths from different perspectives. There wasn't much more Barclays could've done to help us understand more.

£250 for the 3.5 days plus expenses paid for.

Large amount of networking opportunities. All colleagues wore name badges with an indication of what sector they operated in which was really helpful when deciding who to pose questions to.

The first was an evening with drinks and buffet style food. Although it must've been a long day for the employees, they still made the effort to speak to us and answer our questions, many of whom encouraged us to take their email and email them for any further questions.

A diversity panel spoke to us about their contributions outside their role and they also spoke about the other clubs/social activities you could get involved in.

Definitely.