Technology Spring Week Review

This week has been a brilliant insight into the work that Barclays does in the technology sector, in both the technical and non-technical roles. I really enjoyed the talks given by the senior managers within the company, which gave a broad and detailed insight into the different career areas within the company.

Barclays is a very inclusive and diverse company, with an overwhelming aura of respect and appreciation throughout the company. Even though we had attended a spring week, we have been treated with the same respect as the senior members of staff, making the environment a very welcoming and friendly place to have this experience.

During the insight, we all received a high level of guidance, being encouraged to ask questions and get involved with the sessions. There was also a very high level of support available, from the coordinators and from other staff within Barclays, making us feel that there was no stupid questions to ask.

As a mathematics student, I chose to attend the technology spring week as I thought that this would be a brilliant opportunity to explore a field that is a little different from what I currently study. The information provided has given me an insight into the careers available, which I wouldn't be able to get in any other environment.

The insight was structured very well, with a number of different and interesting sessions available on each day, and many interactive sessions such as work shadowing and technology showcases. The itinerary that was set was followed very closely, meaning there were ample breaks and sessions to get involved in without dragging.

During the spring insight week, the general atmosphere was very positive - all of the students are eager to learn and want to further their understanding of the technology used within large businesses within Barclays. The coordinators were consistently positive, and always making sure that we all felt involved and challenged.

In terms of personal training and development, I believe that Barclays invested a lot of time and effort into making sure that we had the best opportunities to understand the different careers available within Barclays, and the different technologies that are being implemented in the financial services and other divisions such as cyber security. We also did leadership training and teamwork tasks.

The spring insight week was designed to give an insight into the opportunities within the technology division in Barclays, and so we were introduced to a number of current employees, ranging from app developers, solutions architects and senior project managers. We also got an insight into the non-technical roles such as compliance and assurance.

Finishing a week at Barclays, it is clear to see that the work life balance within the Radbroke centre is one of the best available within the financial services, with many recreational outlets provided onsite such as football pitches. The employees are also encouraged to take time to think, not just to work as many hours as possible.

The content of the days was useful in helping decide which possible careers I may be interested in, as I could talk to a number of staff in different roles across the business, but I am still considering careers in other departments or fields as I am not as technical as other candidates.

For the week, I have been reimbursed for train tickets, and paid £50 per day for other personal expenses such as food and drinks.

There was a number of networking opportunities - we had a senior networking session where we met a number of project managers, and also had a networking drink session in Knutsford at Lost and Found, where a number of graduates and project managers came for a few hours to have an informal chat with us.

The opportunities available were very useful as they allowed you to meet the different employees of Barclays, and also expand my knowledge of the company.

Regarding the activities employees can get involved in outside of work, we learnt about the sporting opportunities available on the Radbroke campus.

This was a brilliant week, giving me the opportunity to meet many like minded students, and a number of senior staff members within the Barclays technology department.