Internship Review at Barclays - The Wealth and Investment Management Division

The Role

Role Description

The centrepeice of the internship was a task called The Pursuit. We were introduced to a real prospective client for the business on the first day who we had to prepare a presentation and pitch to him what the firm could do for him. We were put in 5 team of 5. We had to meet with him, assess his financial ghoals and then findout what the firm could offer him and present our pitch 7 weeks into the internship.

Assist with the creation of a middle office for dealing procedures- liasing with desk heads to ascertain what activities they do that could be done in the middle office.

Formatting and in some cases creating procedure documents for the dealing desks across all dealing locations.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Some desk tasks weren't that exciting, but I still enjoyed working with my team and everyone was helpful and very friendly. The Pursuit was a great way to actively learn about all the stages of the business and whilst it was a lot of work, it was also the most rewarding part of the overall internshp for me.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My team were very accoodating and friendly. It wasn't rare to be taken out for coffee or drinks.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I had my desk objectives set out for me on the first day with my team. On the first day we were given an internship handbook that described otherwider objectives we had to achieve as well. Furthermore we had a mid internship appraisal after 5 weeks so we knew how we were doing and what we needed to work on.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Some days I was really pushed for time, but it depends on the individual. Being really busy is good for time management skills and prevents you from being bored. My team would always ask me to say if I felt too pressured.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

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

Working in a team for the pursuit was a big lesson in team dynamics, diplomacy and managing prsonalities.
It also helped with presentation skills.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was sitting with the dealers and FX advisory team and not too far away from the investment managers and because they're always on the phone, there was always a buzz around the office.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I felt the internship was well structured in the wider sense and on my team it was very well structered, but this tending to vary from team to team so not everyon had their work and projects as clearly set out as I did with my manager.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The Pursuit was a costly project for the firm and I felt it will anyone who takes part in it. Furthermore one of our objectives was to meet at least 5 MDs and ask them qustions about their area of the business. This was very useful and felt nice to know that such busy, important people within the firm were willing to take time out of their day to speak to us.

The firm also organised training workshops on most wednesday afternoon that helped us develop skills that are relevant to the industry. The workshops were a bit patronising in places and some would take an hour to make a valid point that could have bee made in 10 mins, but they were useful.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• International Travel

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The firm is not hiring in the department I want to go into but there are opportunites in the private bank which will still be very inetresting and a good insight into another side of the business that I'm sure I will enjoy.

Other Information

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

We didn't go out together that much in the evenings but we got on as a group. This came out when doing the workshops and the community work day that the firm organised for us at Mudchute farm on the Isle of dogs.

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

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

London is quite pricy but you are given an accomodation allowance of £2000, whioch should cover any living costs that you have.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

It's London so you're spoilt for choice

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Review 1/16 for Barclays - The Wealth and Investment Management Division

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