Barclays UK Spring Internship Review

The insight was a fantastic opportunity to get a feeling for how large banks like Barclays operate, the various divisions and what it would be like to work there full-time. Each of the 4 days were different and I fully enjoyed every one of them. Great people and great culture.

The Barclays staff were very welcoming and their passion for the company was evident. I felt part of the spring week team from the beginning and this only grew each day. We got a few talks from the CEO of business banking which was particularly valuing.

We were able to get assistance when required and ask as many questions as we could think of to staff across all areas of the bank.

I personally improved my networking skills which is fundamental to any career. Alongside this the spring week developed my communication and presentation skills which are a big part of my degree. In terms of information, I am now better aware of how financial service companies such as Barclays help serve their clients whether it be in wealth or business banking.

Contact prior to the spring week was prompt and clear. We were given the itinerary for the week and this was followed well. Each day focused on a particular area/skill - day 1 involved skills sessions and team building, day 2 included networking with past graduates, day 3 was work shadowing and day 4 included presentation preparation.

The atmosphere was full of enthusiasm and very friendly. We got a taste of the Barclays work culture which overall was supportive and wanting to get the very best out of everyone. Lots of emphasis is placed on networking, as standard in the finance industry.

The business gave us a series of financial skills and team building exercises but the insight week wasn't really focused around training. The main focus was on figuring out where we'd best sit in the bank. I guess a future summer internship will be more suited to this particular area.

The insight gave us a full tour of the Churchill Place offices where each floor gave a different vibe. The overall culture was very supportive and this is how I imagine a full-time position will be like. In addition to this, all graduates we spoke to were happy with their work-life balance.

Everyone I spoke to (including those on the spring insight programme with me) raved about the companies great culture. Barclays believe in getting the best out of everyone and the flexibility of work was something that surprised me. In addition to this, each area of the bank had it's own unique culture.

The week was heavily designed to help us get a better idea of which roles in the bank are best suited to ourselves. I was deciding between wealth & investments or business banking and the work shadowing helped me to decide business banking was the area best suited to me.

We received a one-off payment at the end of the week, along with expenses payed for including trains to London and tube travel to Shoreditch as part of the program. We also got credit for lunch every day throughout.

We probably had the opportunity to do this at least 5 times a day. This gave a huge insider into the business. Current graduate scheme employees were happy to give out their email addresses so we could contact them about anything in the future.

Obviously the whole spring week heavily involved networking with staff and recent graduates. We had a networking breakfast on the 30th floor on the second day but we had no social events for outside of the working hours. This

I asked a few questions about this and they generally responded with Friday evening drinks but not much more. Maybe there's more activities but I was not made aware of these.

Absolutely. It was a fantastic opportunity and each day was packed full.