Barclays is a British bank that engages in retail banking, credit card provision, investment banking, corporate banking, and wealth management. It has two divisions:
- Barclays UK: As the name suggests, this division operates in the UK and provides financial services in the country.
- Barclays International: This division works across the world to provide corporate and investment banking as well as wealth management services to its international clients outside the UK.
Barclays was founded in 1896, and since then it has garnered quite a name for itself. Their positive work culture and constant drive to make their employees’ lives better have made it a prime place to work at. This is why Barclays receives a massive number of applications every year.
Here are three tips to help you become an investment banker at Barclays Investment Bank:
1. A customised CV
The first opportunity for you to get noticed is when they assess your resume. It needs to stand out from the rest! Barclays emphasises the importance of a well-rounded and tailored resume for the role you are applying for.
A large number of resumes are received by recruiters every year. By customising yours to suit and fulfil the key requirements, your chance of getting hired at Barclays will increase drastically. Make sure to thoroughly study the role you are applying for and its job description. You can also try to look at the LinkedIn profiles of those already working in the positions you aspire for. Then, highlight the crucial skills you have that fulfil Barclays’ requirements.
Make sure that your CV is concise and doesn’t have unnecessary information. Use the limited space to your advantage by highlighting your most impressive traits and skills. It is also important to add real-life examples and metrics to support these. For example, for an investment banking analyst position, you can highlight your passion for using data to solve problems. Then add an example where you have done this.
Hear from those who started their early careers at Barclays
2. Embody their company mindset
Barclays, as an investment bank, places high importance on its work culture, purpose, values, and company mindset. This is powered by three keywords:
- Empower
- Challenge
- Drive
These words form the crux of everything the company does, invests in, the employees it hires, and how they provide solutions for its clients. If you can show the recruiters that you have the same mindset and operate with the same values, you will be creating a great impression.
Even in investment banking, Barclays wants to work towards innovation and sustainability, and they look for employees who align with this purpose. Include situations where you have demonstrated the skills they value or where you have had success with this mindset.
3. Prepare for and ace the assessments
Once you have created your application on their website and uploaded your resume, it is time to take the Barclays assessments. These assessments are tools used by the investment bank to test your aptitude in different areas. Some of the assessments you will have to give are:
- Numerical reasoning test
- Logical reasoning test
- Situational judgement test
- Verbal reasoning test
- Personality questionnaire
Don’t worry, you will be able to do a few practice questions before you give the final tests. The theoretical knowledge needed for these tests is very basic, high school level knowledge. If you have prepared for any competitive exam like the SAT or the GMAT, you will be able to breeze through most of these tests.
Make sure to read what exactly each test will be measuring and give your answers accordingly. If a question will be testing your leadership skills, try to pick an answer that will cater to that skill in the best way.
CONCLUSION
Investment banking at Barclays is a dream for many. By using these tips you can make this dream your reality! To enhance your profile even further, you can take the Investment Banking Course by FMI. This course will help you brush up on your investment banking skills and knowledge and give you an edge with your application.
If you use these tips and do a thorough study on Barclays, you will be in a great position to get hired! Good luck!
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