Internship Review at Barclays Capital

The Role

Role Description

Developing software. Fixing bugs. Supporting for the software and traders.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Even though I was just an intern, my colleagues would value my opinions, engage in discussions, and incorporate my ideas into the project.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I had one-to-one with my manager on a regular weekly basis. I also had meeting with my buddy. And that's on the top of team breakfast, team lunch, and team night out, also weekly.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Reasonably busy, we had a scrum meeting every day, where we reported our progress and set up goal for the day.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I had my own project, and I participated in other projects as well. It was not crucial maybe, but it was quite a substantial effort, and aid for the team.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I learned a completely new development environment, during my placement. As a person who is already very multi-language and multi-paradigm oriented, it was a great add-on. The great part was that I was actually given a very reasonable timespan to learn all the new stills, and translate my existing one on to the new environment.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

You could tell that people were working hard, but there always was time/space for a good banter. We laughed, discussed technical issues, and shared know-how.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

We had the opportunity to participate in many well organized events, lectures, panels and nights out. I think only one planned event was eventually cancelled. The was good communication about the opportunities, and then follow ups, and reminders, to make sure everyone participates.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I have been given very reasonable time to learn the new development environment. On the top of a number of MD/Director one-to-ones, where we could ask questions, and seek advice for our career development.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• There were no perks with this internship

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I think very, the banking business is getting into another tough period, but people with open minds and hard-work attitude, can still do well here.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

We used to meet for lunch, most days. And go out, normal-banking-night-outs and weekends. The location I was working at had a lot of nice venues. By the end of the placement I knew many waitresses on a first name basis.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Don't get me wrong, I spend tons of cash, but I had a really good time, not "time of my life" maybe, but really good time.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I don't think there was any night-life per say, there were bars, and restaurants open late, say until 12 midnight, but after that you could take the tube, or DLR and go to the city to continue with your night-out.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

You could always stay late, and do more work :) But yeah of course, there were football games, other societies and interest groups, volunteering etc.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

I think London was great, if you leave some place else in the UK or beyond, I would really make your summer to come here. The weather is not so bad, or not as bad as you would anticipate after watching all the stereotypical movies. It can be expensive, but lets be frank here, you are not paid peanuts at an investment bank placement, enjoy yourself.

Review 47/88 for Barclays Capital

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