Human Resources Intern Review

The pleasant working environment and the high level of responsibility I was given meant that my internship was thoroughly enjoyable. It was neither too challenging or too easy which meant that it was rewarding.

I felt like the work I was doing was of benefit to my colleagues and hence I feel like they valued my contribution. They were very grateful for the work which I produced which made me feel like I was making a difference.

I was given an appropriate level of support and guidance. My line manager let me try and figure out problems for myself but would help me if I was struggling.

For almost the entirety of the internship I was never bored. At some points I did have to work slightly later than I would have liked too.

I was tasked with leading on two of the areas largest projects. This meant that I felt like the work I was doing was valued and was actually making a difference.

I think that the internship taught me project management and multi-tasking skills which I think will be useful for my degree studies. I think the relationship management skills which I learnt also be a very useful life skill.

The atmosphere in the office felt a little frantic at times but this meant that it was certainly never boring. My colleagues were generally always high spirited and very friendly and happy to help if I had any questions. By the end of my internship I felt like I was a permanent member of the team.

The training week and internship events were very well organised. The team in which I was placed during my internship also had planned out well what I would be doing whilst I was helping them. It would have been useful to know slightly earlier before my start date what I was going to be doing within my team.

During the training week I learnt useful Excel, financial, and professional skills. The Excel skills which I learnt were very useful in my placement and will be applicable going forward. I also learnt some general financial and professional skills.

Barclays did well to highlight how they are superior to other banks. For example, they demonstrated their citizenship agenda by getting us to help sixth form students with their UCAS applications. Agendas such as this make Barclays a more appealing organisation to work for than other financial institutions.

Barclays did well to facilitate integration between fellow colleagues by organising intern events where free drinks and canapés were on offer. Also, the fact that training was conducted across clusters meant that you got an opportunity to know people outside of your function.

The cost of living and socialising in London is high. The fact that the comp for the internship is high meant that this was not necessarily an issue. We were also provided with a relocation allowance which covered our cost of living.

There is a good range of bars and restaurants in Canary Wharf. There are also good transport links by tube and bus to the rest of London meaning that there was never a shortage of things to do in the evening.

Barclays have a range of of Network which enable you to get involved in activities outside of work. These are supposed to give you a good opportunity to meet people outside of your immediate network but in my 9 week placement I did not feel like I had time to get involved in these.