Operations Intern Review

Despite some challenges (the online nature of the Internship), Barclays provided an extremely enjoyable and informative experience throughout. It was the right balance of challenging as well as enjoyable. The company really made an effort to help interns get the most out of the experience, despite it being virtual (due to COVID-19). The people and culture within Barclays are second to none - the atmosphere manages to strike the fine balance of both productive and supportive.

My colleagues were fantastic. I had three mentors, each at different levels within the organisation. My Graduate Mentor (two years my Senior) was extremely friendly and gave fantastic advice throughout. My Line Manager stayed in constant communication with me, despite being very busy, and my Senior Mentor was thoroughly encouraging and supportive. Any work I engaged in was meaningful; I felt that my colleagues really took the time to explain their daily processes to me so that I would get the most out of the experience.

I have answered most of this question above.

The workload varied day to day. Generally I stayed quite busy throughout - despite the challenges of a virtual internship. There was a great combination of Intern-Specific Events, which included talks with Directors of different departments, technology and insight sessions, and leadership and personal skills events, as well as department-specific projects that only I worked on (each Intern had their own unique set of tasks to engage with). Barclays really took the time to help its interns get the most out of the programme.

I have been given a large degree of responsibility throughout. I have worked on two main projects during my internship, both of which are critical to the running of my department. During one project, I presented my findings to some Senior Colleagues, who used this information to improve current processes. Another project ended up being a useful tool to 20+ members of my department. Barclays made sure to give us meaningful work, that would actually aid the organisation - not just 'intern' projects.

I believe that the skills I have developed during this internship will give me a fantastic competitive advantage moving forward. The technical knowledge of Operations that I have acquired gives me confidence for the future. Further to this, Barclays' Values (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, Stewardship) and their push to develop these in their employees (through communications sessions and skills workshops) will help me throughout the rest of my life, regardless of what industry I work in in the future.

Whilst it was virtual, the sense of community during the internship was amazing. Every week on Friday my team had a fun 'Buzz' session - where we engaged in a quiz and detailed each person's achievements. There was a friendly and jovial atmosphere throughout - there would be engaging small-talk and a few laughs before a meeting would start - but without compromising productivity. Once a meeting began, the staff were able to switch into an efficient, focused mindset.

The organisation of this internship was fantastic. Whilst I was initially concerned that the virtual workspace might compromise what I would get out of the experience, this was entirely not the case. Each day there were a number of Internship Events, Optional Talks, as well as individual department meetings and project work. The graduate onboarding team were awesome, and made sure to continually check in on us interns to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Barclays organised a number of optional events to aid the interns' development - including Stock Investing and Real Estate sessions - it is clear Barclays really care about their employees. The online, internal training resources are also to an excellent standard. For pretty much any area of interest, there is a free online course that can be taken internally to brush up on one's skills in a certain area or even learn it from scratch.

I am currently unsure as to whether I have secured a role in the Graduate Programme (I will know in about a month's time). Despite this, I would say that the prospects are extremely appealing. Barclays seems to continually be in search of new talent. Their Scottish Branch in particular is undergoing a massive expansion project, interlinking Operations and Technology within the new Aurora Centre. I am very hopeful about my future prospects with this firm.

The other Interns were very nice - unfortunately, as this internship was virtual, there was no meaningful social scene to speak of.

As it was virtual, I lived at home during this placement.

As it was virtual, I lived at home during this placement.

There were a large number of opportunities available, even during this virtual internship. Outside of working hours, I was invited to a number of employee sessions, covering Investing, Real Estate, Black and Female Representation within Finance, and more. Further to this, there were a number of committees, whose meetings myself and a few other interns were granted access to. These included initiatives focused on the environment, inter-generational learning and reverse mentoring, networking, and racial equality.