Financial Analyst Review

Barclay's Apprentices work on a rotational basis, i.e each year they are in a different job role. These can be in any financial area of the bank, and can provide different responsibilities. These can include financial reporting, running reports, project managing, running processes etc. Your exposure is very large as well - you deal with a huge number of employees across the many different locations Barclays operates in, depending on your role. These range from fellow apprentices right up to senior management.

This role provides you with a qualification in your chosen path, as well as 3-4 years worth of industry experience. Communication skills will be used regularly, and my knowledge of the financial world has increased drastically since joining. Dependant on the role you may develop advanced program skills such as excel, and you will learn how to organise your time efficiently. Not only will you be balancing work duties, you will have a qualification to study for.

After leaving school, I was very unsure of what I wanted to do. I am very glad that I was able to get a place at Barclays, as I now know I would like to be part of Finance. Based on my past roles, I love being given my own projects that I am responsible for. Despite being an apprentice, this does not hinder you and others within the bank respect your opinions as well as your ideas.

I wasn't too sure how the programme was going to be structured when I first joined. I expected it to be more related to the Accounting Qualification I am studying for. However, I have since learned you will be placed into finance roles from across the bank, providing you a great breadth of knowledge. However, the correspondence from our training provider has been a little lacking and initial onboarding with them had a few issues. Now that everything has been sorted out, it has been smooth.

My personal experience in my roles has been great. I have regular catch-ups with my manager and others in the team, where we discuss my progress and responsibilities. I am encouraged to say no if I feel like I have too much on my plate, and my team are very open to listening. If I have a question or a problem, they are more than happy to sit down and go through it with me until I am certain.

We have been provided with our training materials, which include the course book, work books, exam kits, revision guides and pocket notes which are very helpful. We have classes to go through all of the chapters, and then have the option to revise/study online with the numerous resources the provide. We have a talent coach, as well as our tutor who is more than happy to run through questions in class and out as well.

I believe having an accounting qualification will be very useful down the line. I do think at this point in time, what we study and our role within the bank are not too related, however this will be very subject to what role you are in. Financial reporting and others will more associate to our qualification than other roles you may take part in. In the future, it will definitely look very good for your CV and may help you move through other roles in the bank.

Barclays has a huge amount of extra curricular activities. They actively encourage you to take part in citizenship activities - you can sign up to a large array of events that benefit society, with the added benefit that Barclays can offer matched fundraising for certain things. Others have set up their own clubs/groups, and Barclays also organise lots of events to celebrate different cultures and religions. Networking is a very key phrase in Barclays. Plenty of networking events are offered to meet other teams, senior management, and other individuals who will positively impact your career. Finance Apprentices are in a great position, as we often get senior individuals come in to our weekly sessions to provide career advice and a high level view of the Bank. We are also provided with training sessions, both soft and hard skills. There is a vast amount to offer, I am still learning more that is available every week.

Yes

I think the two main reasons are Career opportunity and the culture. I believe the options for you to advance a career in finance is huge at Barclays, with plenty of jobs constantly being offered. They operate in lots of countries, which is a great factor if you would like to work abroad at some point. As for culture, I feel like Barclays is very welcoming and friendly. People are more than happy to catch up if you would like to talk about something, and I don't feel like there is a divide between apprentices and the rest of the bank.

I would suggest you be yourself. By being unique, you bring a whole host of new ideas and a view point only you can see. Be open with what you would like to achieve, and do not be afraid to put your own viewpoint across. You do not need a background in Finance to become an apprentice, as you will be taught everything in your roles.