At all levels, applicant attitudes matter; drive, motivation and personality were key
ingredients, teamwork and creativity crucial, and that skills could be developed through
many different contexts. Sport and music were cited, and the importance of extra-curricular
activities in providing contexts for the development of key transferable capabilities
emphasised.
Given this, it is perhaps not surprising that bank employees come in all shapes and sizes,
with all kinds of backgrounds and capabilities themselves. One of the Barclays team was
a musician by qualification, another had hit three sixes in one over against international
bowlers. And the students had to guess which!
Learning about opportunities can be interactive, and even fun; with students working across
schools and colleges through a highly participative format.
Barclays trusts its team members, with one session devoted to the students and young
team members, providing the opportunity for a warts and all conversation out of the earshot
of ‘the management’.
If you get in, and it’s highly competitive, the culture emphasises supported selfdevelopment. Your career is not managed for you, you need to take the lead. And that
takes us back to drive, motivation and personality!
We also learned, subsequently, that the day made a difference for some students at least.
Feedback from one offers an insight into the personal significance of the event:
I ran across the event by chance from my tutor at College… After asking some questions …I
decided this is what I want to do for my future as a career. Being given the opportunity to work
with such a large organisation which allows the growth of its employees for a possible bright future,
I thought what is there to lose... the presente