Internship Review at Barclays - The Wealth and Investment Management Division

The Role

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I found the Barclays Wealth internship scheme to be the perfect balance of work and play - based in the heart of Mayfair with one of the High Net Worth teams I was able to work directly with several bankers and clients, as well as take part in a range of interesting tasks organised by the HR team.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The team in which I was placed made me feel very welcome and certainly kept me busy and allowed me to get involved in a range of interesting tasks for some very interesting clients.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Being teamed up with a supportive line manager makes a huge difference to your experience on the internship scheme. I was fortunate enough to work with a manager and a team that were fully behind the intern and graduate programme and really were testing you to see if you're the right fit to come back and work with them on the graduate scheme.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I found the balance just right between the tasks that formed part of the internship scheme run by HR, and the tasks that I performed for my team and their clients.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was given a great deal of responsibility to communicate directly with High Net Worth clients face to face, by phone and by email. I was trusted both to prepare information for clients and to present it to them in meetings, and was able to work closely with several different bankers in my team.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The training organised by the HR team was to a certain extent the usual mix of personal branding, communication and networking skills, but also offered some more unique and interesting team building exercises and financial awareness training. The skills that I gained from working directly with clients and with the private bankers in my team was certainly valuable and a useful insight in to the skills that will be developed further throughout the graduate scheme.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The office was lively and friendly, with plenty of cakes floating around and a good social scene for after work drinks on an evening!

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The scheme was organised very well and the HR team were extremely helpful in answering questions and giving advice. The onboarding process (which is mainly outsourced) was somewhat protracted and at times a little annoying.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The training was excellent, with a large amount of training sessions offered both internally and by external training firms. The amount of time dedicated to interns by senior management (including MDs and even the Barclays Wealth CEO) was exceptional, with many very willing to spend a lot of time with interns on an individual or group basis.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• Company Parties/Events

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I have received and accepted a graduate offer with the company. The graduate training package, including the international placement opportunity and the training offered in the form of the CFA, are excellent and it is clear from time spent with senior management that they place a great deal of emphasis on their graduates.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The intern cohort was extremely social, from the HR sponsored networking events and drinks receptions in the first couple of weeks to the heavy intern organised nights in the following weeks. Most teams also organised weekly drinks or other socials which interns and graduates were invited to.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Being based in Mayfair in the heart of London, the cost was of course high. Enough said!

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Being based in Mayfair in the heart of London, the nightlife was of course excellent. Enough said!

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Barclays runs several social groups from sports teams to diversity networks (LGBT, disability etc) that interns can get involved in, and there were many other social activities to get involved in on an evening.

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?

The opportunity to experience other teams within the wider Barclays group is definitely present. Meeting with MDs from other business areas (such as Barclays Corporate and Capital) is actively encouraged as part of the internship scheme and should definitely be taken advantage of both to build your network and to ensure that you're happy that you're in the right part of the organisation.

Review 14/16 for Barclays - The Wealth and Investment Management Division

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