Operations Intern Review

A very informative week, where I gained a real insight into the various functions and opportunities that exist within Barclays. I also discovered how they interact with one another and their respective industries. It is a very well organised, informative scheme that I would thoroughly recommend.

I felt like a valued and respected member of the team and the Barclays community as soon as I arrived. The team looking after us, placed great emphasis on the fact that they were excited to work with us and that they were looking forward for us to showcase our talents.

It was a very open, inclusive environment where I felt we could ask for support and guidance wherever necessary. It was also made clear to us from the beginning to always ask questions in times of doubt in order to get the most out of the week, which made me feel comfortable

In terms of my degree studies, a lot of the information I learned may not be particularly applicable to my degree as it was more niche and complex than the generalised theories and assignments I undertake at university. However in terms of equipping you with skills to take into your career, the week proved extremely useful.

The majority of the time I felt we were occupied with meaningful tasks or were attending insightful presentations or workshops. However I felt we were given too much time in work hours to focus on presentations to be presented at the end of the week when realistically these could've been completed in our own time.

There was a great atmosphere and camaraderie between everyone who engaged with the Spring Week. The general atmosphere was very professional yet relaxed and I feel it set the tone for the rest of the week nicely. Everyone was very friendly and supportive too which contributed to the feel-good atmosphere in the workplace.

I felt that Barclays invested in us to a strong extent. By having Q&A opportunities with senior managers within the Operations function, it was clear that they wanted us to gain the most relevant and prudent advice possible. They also set up a networking event with a range of different Barclays employees which gave us further opportunities for advice and personal development.

I think the work shadowing event we took part in gave a good understanding of working in the company as we got to see the day-to-day experiences employees face first hand. I also feel that being immersed in the company culture from the beginning as well as using the facilities that Barclays have to offer gave an good basis of working at Barclays full-time.

A key focus of the week was learning about the RISES values the Barclays embodies and how they are ingrained into the company culture.

There was a great deal of information communicated over to us about the different types of opportunities and job roles available to us. However although it opened my eyes to the job choices that existed for me, I was bombarded with so much information that it was hard to finalise exactly what career path I wanted to set off.

I was paid for travel and work expenses, within a week of the internship.

A network event was hosted on the Wednesday evening which involved a selection of Barclays colleagues from different roles within the Operations function. It was a very insightful event, but I felt it could have been even better if there was a better ratio of interns to full-time workers as often it was hard to talk to the relevant people, who were often occupied with several people already.

They gave me a great opportunity to communicate and build up a rapport with senior faces within the Operations function.

We weren't given so much information about this, but had the opportunity to talk to employees about this.

Yes I would, because in such a short space of time you gain so many insights and opportunities that wouldn't be available externally. Also it gives you a great opportunity to establish if Barclays and the work the company engages in, align with what your career preferences and aspirations are.