Summer Analyst Review

It was very enjoyable. The staff and interns are all incredibly friendly and reflect the Barclays values. It was also organised very well (within both my team and the internship overall) so that I was never bored.

I was always given meaningful work to do and was kept informed of the progress that had been made because of my efforts. I was also invited to many company socials.

I was given enough support to be successful, however part of the process is standing on your own two feet and I never felt uncomfortable doing this.

The workload came in ebbs and flows - however I always made a huge effort to ask for work when I didn't have any. I also completed tasks as soon as possible (often much quicker than expected) so they were often finding me work to do when they had thought I'd be occupied. This is definitely a good thing though!

I was given very important tasks from the off. From performing chief of staff type roles in my first week, to conducting training programmes for the whole team towards the end of my internship - I was given a huge amount of experience and then allowed to put this into practice.

The main skill set that this programme helped me develop was based around organisation. Otherwise, there was nothing that explicitly helped me in my politics degree.

It was incredibly friendly on a personal level - however the sense of professionalism was always apparent. It is very different to a university environment, however it is not as 'corporate' as had been suggested.

The organisation was fantastic. We had a dedicated team of staff who sorted out any issues we had and organised many networking/social events for us to attend.

The opportunity to spend time with a company like Barclays for 9 weeks is an investment on its own, however in this time we also got to attend many workshops and networking meetings; all of which helped us develop on a personal level.

After putting in a lot of effort and exceeding all my targets, I am hoping to take on a full-time position with the firm (on their graduate scheme). The culture and work ethic of Barclays is incredibly appealing and the range of job options available is also second to none.

The social scene was good, however the workload is heavy and it is always important to prioritise those commitments. As I moved into the latter stages of the internship, I mostly just attended formal networking events and socials.

The cost of living and socialising is high - although not any more than 'London prices' in general. This cannot be avoided when living in the city, however you are financially rewarded in line with these higher costs.

The night-life is good and something enjoyed by interns and permanent staff alike. There are a range of bars, restaurants and nightclubs available in the area and in other nearby locations.

There are many opportunities advertised internally and it is simply a case of taking as many chances as you can. The more you put, in the more you get out; whilst being a cliché this saying is very applicable in this situation.