Investment Banking Spring Intern Review

The insight was a great way for my to really figure out how exactly what type of firm that Barclays is, and really see the practice behind their values. I felt very welcomed, and was glad that I could increase my technical knowledge and my practical knowledge about the firm.

I believe my time at Barclays definitely revolved around the word " family". Amongst the interns, but also amongst the management and staff as a whole, we were taken good care of and never felt uncomfortable to ask any questions and show curiosity. I have left with a high impression of the firm.

I received a huge amount of support in anything I did. Whether it was any questions that I had, or any other concerns that I had, the HR was always ready to answer any questions. I honestly cannot think of one moment in which I felt uncomfortable or felt without guidance.

I learnt of many quotes that I took from the Bankers and Traders that I found very useful in how I shaped my mind, and looked at certain topics. Quotes such as " Train hard, fight easy" and " Bring your whole self to work " are definitely quotes that I will remember, and let myself be influenced by in everyday actions.

The Insight Programme could not have been structured better. We had a clear structure everyday and knew exactly what we were going to do beforehand. All planning was to perfection and speakers came exactly on time. Just as a recommendation for any small amount of improvement that could be made, it would be great for Spring Interns to have a room with tables to study on the final assessment centre day.

I expected a very tense and competitive atmosphere throughout the Insight Programme, and was very pleased to discover that it would be the exact opposite. Everyone was so welcoming, always smiling and it was really a Programme in which I will look back very fondly upon. It was a pleasure to be there.

The company invested a great deal into our personal training and development, and it showed just how important they find their younger interns (regardless of conversion or not). It was great as it showed us how Barclays actually cares about us and wants us to succeed, and definitely built a sense of loyalty to the company.

In terms of the atmosphere and relationships between different divisions and sectors, we were able to get a huge insight into how it would be to be a full time intern within the company. One way of perhaps improving this would be to extend the length of the Spring Programme by one day and allow Interns to shadow a division for a day - that would be a great addition.

This Insight allowed me to truly see the company culture of Barclays. From the way the speakers spoke about their experiences down to the art on the wall, it was clear that Barclays had a culture of excellence and inclusion, which was a warm welcoming to me. Networking with the bankers and HR definitely helped in this aspect.

The content of the day was very valuable in deciding my future career path. by speaking to a diverse range of divisions and learning the technicals of what these groups did, it really helped me choose my division. Just in terms of any small improvements, perhaps some future events could also be visiting the floors in which the IBD divisions are, and shadowing.

I will be paid and reimbursed expenses once the Spring Programme ends, and this was all communicated clearly to me.

There were a huge range of networking opportunities including speed dating. What I found the best form of networking was definitely the lunch networking, as this was a creative way to capitalise upon the time that both us and the Bankers had and connect us, which I found very good.

The networking and social event opportunities were great, and we were able to network with a diverse range of workers. It was great being able to network with both junior and senior workers as we were able to get a diverse range of opinions on many different hierarchies and positions. In terms of the senior networking night, any small improvement I can think of would be to perhaps increase the number of bankers that are there compared to Traders if possible.

I was able to find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work, however it may just be because whilst networking I was eager to learn about life outside of work as well. In terms of speeches and such, we were not able to learn much about hobbies such as sports, but was able to learn through the Diversity panel about the different communities that employees can join.

I would definitely recommend this insight and bank to a friend, due to the inclusive nature and friendliness that resonated around the firm. The global average tends to have a stereotypical assumption that the culture in banks are very aggressive and uncomfortable, however through Barclays I was able to see that this was definitely not the case.