Operations Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my internship. I was given challenging work that I could take ownership of and call my own at the end of the placement. I was given consistent feedback and all the staff were supportive. The highlight for me, was how impressive the management are; they want you to make the most of the internship and give you plenty of opportunities to showcase yourself and develop your skills. There is also a lot of contact with senior figures of the business and a focus on learning about other roles outside of your business area.

Highly valued. I integrated into the team very well. All colleagues were friendly, approachable and listened to my suggestions and contributions. I was invited to team meetings and conference calls. By the end of it, people were coming to me with questions!!!!

I had weekly meetings with my line manager and my project manager. It was also made very clear to me that I could ask them anything and anytime. My line manager was particularly good at sourcing other opportunities outside of my mandatory objectives that may have been in interest to me. The management has a great focus on developing individuals through challenging and coaching them.

Generally days were busy. As my work was project based rather than business as usual, it was my responsibility to manage my own time and progress. There was plenty of online learning modules and opportunities to shadow or visit other areas of the bank if you did have free time. I never worked too late and was always able to have a lunch break so I would say the balance was near perfect.

I was given real responsibility very early on during my placement. My project involved working independently for the most part which was challenging but a great opportunity as an undergraduate. Barclays also encourages you to look for other opportunities and supports you if you have any ideas on how to improve current processes.

I developed great problem solving, analytical and leadership skills. There were also plenty of opportunities for networking with senior figures in the business (very useful graduate scheme preparation), complete online learning and work on large team citizenship projects. This internship has certainly enhanced my CV and provided me with plenty of examples to use in competency questions in future interviews

The atmosphere in the office was good. There was always plenty of chat and everyone was friendly to one another but what I would say is that it was fairly busy so there was plenty of work before play! The phones were always busy in my area and project work could quickly change so it could get quite stressful and it is important to be comfortable working on your own.

The work placement was very structured, beginning with a week of training. In your first week in the office, everyone received their Objectives to be completed by the end of the internship along with dates for performance reviews. So it was very organised and well planned with the right balance of own time to get involved in other opportunities.

The pre learning training at the start of the internship is based in London. It is intense but gives you good skills and preparation into working at the company and also in the industry. There were online resources available and modules to be completed throughout the internship. The company really do invest in your learning and development. There is also plenty of opportunities to meet senior business figures and other professional experts to learn about other areas of the business and banking functions and products.

Plenty of employment opportunities!!! They recruited nearly 350 students for internships over the summer alone. I was offered a job following the internship and this is generally available to all students if they impress.

There was a great social scene among the graduates. They invited the interns to their socials and we integrated very well into their circles. There was always weekend drinks on Friday after work, and Barclays organised two intern only socials - one of which was pizza making! Like all social scenes though, it is what you make it to be.

I was based in Glasgow so the cost of living was fairly low and there is a great social scene. Plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs. It is also not uncommon for there to be weekend deals even for entry into nightclubs. Transport is also fairly cheap and the relocation bonus more than compensates the Glasgow rent prices. Great city for students!!!!!

Absolutely fantastic!!!!! The Westend, City Centre and Merchant City are the best areas of the city. They all offer great clubs, restaurants and bars and will vary in expense but generally, it is relatively cheap to go out and there is also a great live music scene in Glasgow too. Everyone's tastes are catered for somewhere.

Unfortunately, there were no clubs or activities other than 5 a side Men's football outside of work than you could get involved in with colleagues (at least what I was aware of). This is probably due to the smaller number of employees compared to London. There was, however, a large focus on Citizenship, Volunteering and Diversity within work. So you can get involved and are encouraged to actively support these networks. There is also a great work/life balance which allows you time to get involved in other things outside of work.