Suanne W.
About me
| Suanne W. | |
| Mathematics | |
| Mathematics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| 2009 |
My employment
| Barclays Future Leadership Development Programme | |
| Barclays | |
| United Kingdom | |
| 2012 | |
| £36000 |
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A day in the life of a Barclays Future Leadership Development Programme in the United Kingdom
My career history
After graduating in 2009, I joined the Deloitte graduate scheme, working in the Audit department in the Leeds office. I learned a lot whilst I was there and had some great experiences, but it was not a good fit for me and I left in March 2010 when I was approached by Zenith, a vehicle leasing & fleet management company, also based in Leeds.
I joined the business development team, preparing bid pricing and financial analysis of our sales propositions. I was able to utilise a lot of the accountancy skills I had learned and also develop in many other areas, this led to my role taking on a more consultative approach and I was able to interact with a lot of high profile clients. As it was a rapidly growing business, it was a very exciting time to join and being a relatively small company (<200 employees) it gave me the opportunity to work alongside the directors of the business.
After nearly two and a half years at Zenith, ready for a new challenge and a move to London, I left to join the Barclays Future Leadership Development Programme.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Very good, the FLDP is just the beginning of my career at Barclays. As the programme ends, I will be supported in securing the right permanent role for me through feedback, coaching, career management workshops and interview training.
My advice to students considering work
Work experience is essential. Whether it is from a part-time job, volunteering, summer internship or placement year, employers are looking for bright graduates who have some practical experience in a working environment. Extracurricular activities, including taking some time out to travel, are really useful too; it makes you a better-rounded candidate and a more interesting person.
What I do
The FLDP is a two year programme, split into four rotations, designed to deliver the skills and experience needed to succeed in a permanent leadership role. There are a number of different programme streams, I joined the RBB (Retail & Business Banking) Leadership stream, which having completed the induction fortnight, I am currently one month into my first rotation.
I am working at Barclays’ global headquarters in Canary Wharf, within the Corporate Affairs department, which adds value to the business by enhancing and protecting Barclays’ reputation across Media Relations, Internal Communications, Events, Public Policy and Consumer & Community Affairs. After a particularly demanding summer for Barclays, there is a lot going on which has given me great insight into how the bank is perceived externally, and the importance of working closely with the press, consumer groups, local communities and all levels of government.
So far, I have mostly been working in project management roles, liaising with colleagues from across the company to deliver pieces of work for leadership events, community workshops and developing strategic communication plans. My day-to-day activities are mostly focused on delivering my projects, where I have to arrange and attend a variety of meetings, monitor resources and budgets, problem solve and develop project plans but there is also the leadership development aspect of the FLDP which will be present throughout my placement. As Future Leaders, we are expected to identify and take advantage of development opportunities outside our day-to-day role; this includes community work, speaker & networking events, business games and professional qualifications.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Strong academic achievement was essential, the FLDP required a 2:1 classification, but for the RBB Leadership stream, there was no specific subject requirement.
What I like most
There are so many things I like! The level of support and opportunities available are incredible, joining the banking industry at such a pivotal point in time is really exciting and working in the breath-taking Canary Wharf is just amazing.
Next steps...
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