With a Biochemical Engineering degree, Justin shows that you can succeed at Barclays no matter your background.
The first thing I should say is, I studied Biochemical Engineering at university – so, certainly not your typical financial services background. My line manager has been incredibly supportive, especially considering my non-financial experience, and they’ve provided guidance and support to help me settle in. It just goes to show that no matter what background you have, you can succeed at Barclays if you play to your strengths, persevere and are curious to learn.
My experiences during the Group Functions Spring Week and the Treasury Summer internship were the key drivers to me choosing a career in financial services at Barclays. Both were incredibly valuable glimpses into the financial world and it showed me that the analytical, people and problem solving skills I learnt from my degree were valued.
It just goes to show that no matter what background you have, you can succeed at Barclays.
Coming in from an Engineering background with little experience in financial services, the learning curve was quite steep to start with. But for me, that’s what has made the role so interesting and exciting. There’s no typical day and there will always be something new to learn.
The cliché in Treasury is that it’s the heart of the bank - but it really is the best way to describe it. The exposure you receive to the whole of Barclays is second to none. You’ll interact with and support businesses all across the bank and the range of available roles is so diverse – from core functions such as Balance Sheet Management and Capital and Leverage Management to Investor Relations and Principle Investments. I believe it’s the best place to start a career and learn all you need to know about financial institutions.
The best part is, your training and development opportunities don’t stop with your practical experience. I’ve been to Sandhurst to develop my soft skills, and joined classes on key topics in finance and personal insights discovery training to help me engage better with my team. The support provided is fantastic and really helps you settle in and develop, on and off the job.
If Justin has left you wanting to find out more - check out Barclays profile here.