Mat - Business Apprentice

No two days have been the same for Mat working for the Barclays Mortgages team

After I finished college, I decided to defer for a year or so, before deciding if I wanted to go to university. I started working in local bars and pubs, then realised I wanted to start looking for a place to begin my career. I’d always had an interest in IT and business – and that’s when I found Barclays.

I chose to come here because I was motivated by the bank’s purpose of creating opportunities to rise, and because of its values (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship). I came to the conclusion that if I wanted to develop myself and start my career, this would be the best place for it.

Knowing that what I’ve been working on will be implemented or released to customers is an amazing reward.

I started working for the Barclays Mortgages team, handling day-to-day interactions with new and existing mortgage customers. I wanted to further develop my career though, and then I learned about the apprenticeship programme. With support from my line manager and the team around me, I applied and was accepted, starting my new role as a Business Analyst in November 2019.

As a Business Analyst, no two days are the same. We work on projects of varying scale but they’re all equally important to day-to-day operations and improvements to the bank. Knowing that what I’ve been working on will be implemented or released to customers is an amazing reward, and I’ve also learned so much about the how the bank works as well as how to operate effectively within a project team.

Plus, I have a great journey planned out ahead of me, thanks to my manager and my course tutor. That’s really been the best thing: the support and mentoring I’ve received along the way. I’ve learned so much from those I’ve worked with, and from the training I’ve received. It’s all setting me up for a successful career at Barclays, and I continue to learn more and more each and every day.