Software Developer Review

I had high expectations for my placement before I started it, but even still these were exceeded.

It was a pleasure to work in such a warm atmosphere. I was given plenty of support and help when I required it but at the same time was treated more like a permanent employee than an inexperienced intern.

My manager managed to find time in his very busy schedule to offer valuable help with my project when I was stuck. When he wasn't able to do this his assistant manager was extremely helpful.

I was given a requirements specification which turned out to be perfect for a ten week placement. I worked hard everyday but was never over-stressed as I was given reasonable and achievable deadlines. At the same time they were tight enough to force me to work hard on my project, which is definitely a good thing.

I extended code which had previously been written by the team I was working in, which for an intern with little experience in comparison to my colleagues, was a nice responsibility to have and felt trusted as a result.

I further enhanced my previous experience with Java. I also learned a few new technologies which has strengthened my ability to pick up new technologies in the future, a natural requirement for someone working in software development.

My colleagues worked their socks off but still managed to maintain a calm working environment. From the day I started I felt very comfortable when approaching members of my team for advice. The staff had a good sense of humour also, which I feel is an important factor when building good team morale.

All events were organised in the form of Microsoft Outlook events. Each event contained relevant and accurate information, and were sent to me with plenty of notice. In general, the internship scheme seemed well planned, thought out and structured, and on the rare occasion I was unsure of something I was able to get a reply to a query from campus recruitment very quickly.

We were given online financial tutorials to complete before we started our placement. We also spent a long weekend in London, and were given 2 days of financial training in Canary Wharf from a former stockbroker with over 20 years of experience. On the final day we completed a 'soft skills' training programme. I really enjoyed the fact we were receiving top class financial education in a financial capital of the world.

The opportunities for promotion in this company are there if you work hard enough. I worked in an environment where I was able to speak to Directors from time to time and was given an insight into the path I can take during my time at the company.

Before our placement we attended a very nice welcome dinner and we were treated to an intern social event in the city centre of Glasgow; we were given the opportunity to plan our evening and chose to play Virtual Golf before dining at a restaurant later that evening. In general I attended a few events organised by my colleagues which I really enjoyed.

Glasgow varies in price depending on which part of the city you go, in general I feel the cost of living is reasonable for quite a major city. From personal experience, Glasgow city centre is cheaper than London city centre.

Having lived in Glasgow my whole life I'm very familiar with the area, so my opinion might be slightly unbalanced as I have the advantage of knowing where everywhere is. But the city seems to have a excellent reputation for its nightlife, judging by the feedback of others who have moved here from outwith the area.

Barclays ran several events for sport, including its own mini-version of the Olympics. I also participated in voluntary charity work with my fellow interns for Autism Scotland which was an excellent day out.