Finance intern - Based in Operations Cost Management Review

I can honestly say my internship exceeded my expectations. I have been in work placements before and got given tasks that were unwanted by staff, but at Barclays the scheme was well organised and I felt that I had an important role within my team and it was motivating to feel integral to the team.

Everyone was so welcoming and always gave me tasks where I could add value, even at senior levels they were always willing to take half an hour out of their schedule to learn about their role within a function.

I set up weekly feedback meetings with my line manager in which I was given constructive feedback, which helped me to continuously improve. My recruiter was also always an email away and kept in constant contact with me to support me throughout my internship.

There was a steady build up of workload at the start of my internship, and by the midway mark I was extremely busy every day which I really enjoyed.

I was given an appropriate amount of responsibility and my work was always supported by the people in my team when I was completing work that was really important. I found it comforting that I was challenged with really important work but at the same time I was supported by my team who would always give feedback before sending the work.

My excel learning curve was a steep and rewarding one; it is a skill which will be extremely useful in my future career and even to organise my university work currently. We received thorough training for excel and for theory of the banking sector, but the skills were developed by doing the job day to day and they will be invaluable in the future.

The atmosphere in my office was a perfect working environment; people were there to do a job to the standards expected by Barclays, but at the same time the atmosphere was supportive, people were always happy to help even if you've never met before. A busy, comfortable and hardworking environment.

From my invitation to become an intern to the end of my internship the whole program was organised extremely well, we met important people within our finance division throughout the company on a weekly basis where we could learn about their careers and ask about their jobs. There were events, appraisals, guides and maps to key places that we needed to know. I felt very supported at all times and never thought that anyone had forgotten about me. The only area which organisation could be improved was the initial provision of a laptop, this took a week out of the internship for some, luckily I got mine after 3 days.

We had training on the banking sector and on excel prior to the internship. My colleagues trained me on everything before I was let loose and provided me chunks of work which I could complete and then get feedback on.

I have received a graduate offer and I am extremely excited to start, I really like the company and feel that I sit with the values well.

There was a pretty good social scene, some people worked fairly late so we lived for the weekends, I have met some really good friends on my internship across the bank.

I am from the north and was plonked in canary wharf for 9 weeks and everything was expensive at first but your wage covers everything and you get used to it. - £4 for nuts!

Nightlife was really good if you knew where to go, London offers some of the best clubs in England and there is always something to do.

I was involved in 5-aside and the peoples working group. I was going to set up a basketball team but I wasn't there long enough. Plenty to get involved in.