Summer Intern Developer Review

I enjoyed the virtual experience quite a lot. Barclays put in a lot of effort to make sure we were kept busy and still had the opportunity to network with other interns as well as other colleagues. The duration was reduced from 9 weeks to 6 which mean there was a lot of experience that we would miss out on but there's not much that can be done about this due to COVID-19.

I felt very valued during my time at Barclays. A lot of discussion revolves around how important the Early Careers aspect of the organisation is and how interns are the leaders of the future. The business provided access to high-quality internal and external learning sites to further our development. Teams were very welcoming and ensured that we felt comfortable with how things were progressing and that we would be considered a real part of the business while there.

I was unfortunate in that there was many delays in getting access to specific accounts and resources in order to start project work. This was frustrating and the organisation could have done more to elaborate on what I was waiting for and why it was needed. When it came to actual project work I tended to be left with not very much to do due to calls with my tech buddy being cancelled due to other commitments.

I made an effort to undertake courses on external learning sites paid for by Barclays. These courses were related to different technologies that will be of use to me in my future studies as well as future workplaces. Barclays also provides many sessions to deepen your understanding of the organisation as a whole, as well as sessions on financial markets, trading, and personal development aspects like brand, reputation, networking, linkedin and being careful on social media.

The experience was very well structured from HR's end. A range of sessions were organised for the duration of the internship to keep interns busy and communication was very clear to interns both before and during the experience. The virtual experience within the actual team was quite slow and unstructured. (I was moved project halfway through before I got to start and my line manager was somehow unaware of this). It takes a lot of time to get set up.

The overall atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly. Everyone is very welcoming and encouraging. You are given a mentor and a buddy who you can reach out to before you start to get acquainted with others in the business. Due to the internship being virtual there were 3/4 virtual team catch ups that took place a week to ensure people got to socialise with their team away from work chat. I have no doubt that this atmosphere would be the same in a physical office.

As mentioned above, Barclays pays for access to high-quality learning sites which have courses on pretty much any technology you would like to learn about. They also provide workshops to teach you about brand, reputation, networking etc. It is all quality content that will be of use both inside and outside any workplace. The internal learning portal also has courses about managing situations in the workplace such as difficult discussions with your line manager and how to chair meetings.

The experience was very effective in providing a sample of what it would be like to work for Barclays full time. Although the project was small it was still of relevance to the business and demonstrated how Barclays defines the business needs and takes steps to implement them. Obviously it would be slightly different in a physical environment but I still think Barclays made a great attempt at trying to replicate as much of the experience as possible.

There are workshops from different departments in the organisation that look after areas such as diversity and inclusion. These help to show that Barclays is a forward-thinking business which tries to make all colleagues feel comfortable no matter their background, gender, race etc. There isn't a lot of discussion about the workplace culture however it is quickly realised once you start the work and talk to your team that it is a very relaxed organisation.

I think the presentations about how banks work and how financial markets work etc. are all very interesting and encouraged me to pursue a career in the financial sector. I think the project work was lacking and didn't provide as much of an opportunity to make use of my skills or learn something new outside of the external courses I was already taking, which was frustrating. I would still like to work for Barclays but I would hope that the projects are better organised once I start.

Although the duration of the internship was reduced I was still paid for the original duration.

Yes. Although this was challenging due to COVID-19 Barclays still make efforts to organise networking sessions amongst interns to allow us to get to know each other a little better. Unfortunately a few more of these with different people would have been preferable as they only really took place in the first week and towards the end. You are placed in a team with other interns so you do get to know them a bit better.

Similar to above, the opportunities were very limited due to COVID-19 but this is not really the fault of Barclays.

I do not recall external work activities being discussed at all during the internship. This may be due to COVID-19 and the organisation felt it would be unnecessary to include this information in the presentations as it would most likely be irrelevant for another year at least.

I think the experience has provided a well-rounded snapshot of life as a Barclays employee (albeit virtually).You do feel very valued and they put a lot of effort into making sure you take as much away from the experience as possible. The work could be considered boring for some depending on which area you are working, but as long as you have a general interest in the financial sector I'm sure you would enjoy it. The pay is also very competitive.