Are you aspiring to work as an investment banker at Barclays? If so, you'll need to prepare for the Barclays investment banking interviews adequately to stand out among other qualified applicants. The bank often receives thousands of applications for just a few hundred roles, leading to a low acceptance rate of below 3%.
On the brighter side, you could be among the few that land the job if you prepare right. This guide will help you increase your chances of getting hired at Barclays by giving you an overview of the firm, outlining the recruitment process, showing you what to expect at interviews, and providing expert tips for preparation.
Headquartered in London, UK, Barclays is a British multinational bank founded in 1690. Over the years, it has done well in building a reputable brand globally and is one of the bulge bracket firms alongside banks like JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs.
As one of the world's largest multinational investment banks, Barclays offers various services, including retail banking, corporate banking, wealth management, and investment banking. The bank's investment banking division works on mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, debt capital markets, leveraged finance, and risk management.
For anyone interested in investment banking careers, Barclays offers two main pathways:
Barclays consistently ranks among the top 10 global investment banks, with particular strength in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) markets. In 2024, the bank received a prestigious award from Euromoney for the “Best Investment Bank in the UK”. This marks the 11th time in 13 years that Barclays has received this accolade.
The standard recruiting process at Barclays involves several steps including online application, initial assessments, an assessment centre, and the final job offer. However, the steps might be more depending on the office or region.
Here’s what you need to know about each of these stages.
1. Application Submission
The first stage in the Barclays hiring process for investment bankers is the online application. Start by exploring the Barclays career website to spot the right opportunities. You can also check out Barclays graduate programs that offer a two-year Investment Banking Expert Programme.
There’s an option for analysts available to graduates with any educational background. Then there’s an associate program for anyone graduating with a Masters, MBA or JD degree in any field. All should have passion for finance and business though.
Once you find the right opportunity, hit apply, which will take you to Barclays careers portal to create an account. Here, you’ll provide personal details, your educational background, and work experience, along with uploading a resume. Since your CV is the first chance to create a lasting impression with your recruiter, ensure it’s well tailored to the position you're applying for at Barclays.
If the application is successful, you’ll get an invite to do some online assessments. These are aptitude tests that let the recruiters estimate your alignment with Barclays' values, work culture, and the necessary skills for the role. These tests take up to one hour, but you will receive instructions on whether you need to complete them in one sitting.
They typically include numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and logical reasoning tests. With Barclays, you will access some practice tests via email to experiment before the real assessment. Take advantage of that. But definitely start preparing early because you must meet the minimum score to move to the next stage.
3. Telephone Interview
If you meet the minimum score for the online assessments, you may receive a call from the Barclays team. It can last about half an hour as the interviewers try to get more information about your technical skills and experience for the job you’re seeking. It’s also a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about the role, process, or anything relevant.
4. In-Person or Virtual Assessment Centre
If you perform well in the telephone interview, the next stage will be a face-to-face or virtual interview. You can expect the interviewers to dig deeper into your motivations for the role, alignment with Barclays' values, and technical skills.
The assessment centre often involves two or three stages. You may start out with meetings with junior investment bankers and end with a senior member of the department. Some candidates get back-to-back interviews which last 30 minutes each. These interviews are a mix of behavioral and technical questions.
5. Screening Process and Offer
After passing the assessment centre, the Barclays team will ask you to provide additional information to complete the screening process. The process and information needed may vary based on location.
Then you’ll receive a job offer if all goes well. That can take a few days to a week after the assessment centre, but some investment bankers have received offers even two weeks later.
The timeline of the hiring process for investment bankers at Barclays can take up to two or three months from initial application to job offer. But the timeline isn’t fixed and can be shorter or longer in some cases depending on various factors.
Most qualified candidates get shorter timelines and can even skip some stages if the interviewers are satisfied and convinced about their fit for the role from the initial stages. Also, some people get late offers when those initially considered decline the offers.
Throughout the recruitment process, you can view your progress from your account at the Barclays careers portal.
To succeed in a Barclays Investment Banking interview, thorough preparation is key. Here are the points you should focus on:
Prepare for behavioral questions.
If you want to impress interviewers when it comes to behavioral and fit questions, master the STAR method. It helps you create responses that are well-thought out and memorable. So find the common questions asked in interviews such as "Why Barclays?" and "Why investment banking?" then use the STAR formula to structure your answers.
The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel with the formula, and your stories will start to flow more naturally.
👉 Get started with our Stress-Question-Tool and practice with real examples under pressure!
Polish up on technical questions.
Barclays accepts applicants from different academic backgrounds, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect technical questions. You should develop a strong foundation in core concepts like the DCF analysis, accounting principles, and valuation methods.
You can create a personalized study plan that targets your weaknesses and helps you build confidence in your technical skills. The questions might not be very difficult, but might test your understanding of basic concepts. For instance "Walk me through a DCF".
👉 Check out our article about technical questions in investment banking!
Understand Barclays values and culture.
To show your fit with Barclays' values and culture, take the time to go through their website. Get to know the bank’s history, its transformation since 2008 and its strong presence in UK investment banking. The more you understand about the firm, the more confident you’ll be even with questions you didn’t anticipate. It also helps in tailoring your responses to fit questions.
You can look up the bank's strengths in different areas of investment banking like advisory services and debt capital markets. Also, analyze recent deals where Barclays served as lead advisor, particularly in their core markets.
It’s also a good idea to understand Barclays' structure and competitive positioning against US bulge bracket banks. Such knowledge will help you to demonstrate your genuine interest in the company and its values.
Network.
If you want insider tips and a deeper understanding of the company's values and expectations, try networking with former or present Barclays investment bankers. You can connect with professionals through Linkedin or find alumni from your university who work at Barclays.
There’s no guarantee that they will be willing to share anything. But with persistence and good networking skills, you may find interesting and helpful ones. If you’re still on campus, attend the sessions, both virtual and in-person, when the company visits your school.
Mock interviews.
One tip you should take very seriously when preparing for Barclays investment banking interviews is doing mock interviews. They simulate the actual Barclays interview experience to help you get better at handling interviews.
You can do mock interviews with peers, friends, or investment banking professionals who can replicate the intensity and pace of actual Barclays interviews. Whoever you practice with should give you helpful feedback to help you improve with each session. But you may also record your mock sessions to analyze your performance and identify areas for improvement.
Observe how you maintain composure when faced with challenging technical questions. Get someone who can challenge you as Barclays interviewers may push candidates to test their limits. Also, practice transitioning smoothly between technical and behavioral questions to show your ability to think critically and communicate effectively.
Consider working with an interview coach.
Save yourself prep time and build confidence much faster by working with an experienced investment banking interview coach. These are often former investment bankers or recruiters who have experience with the investment banking hiring process.
So, by working with one, you’re increasing your odds of success massively. Some may have insider knowledge of the company's culture and expectations. They may also have coached successful hires at Barclays and received even more insights from those experiences.
This means a specialized IB interview coach can help you craft compelling stories that demonstrate both technical skills and cultural fit with Barclays. Mock interviews with them are also much more helpful than with peers or other persons because of the experience and feedback they provide.
👉 Discover the perfect coach to suit your needs and help you ace your Case-Interview at our coach overview!
Landing a job in Barclays’ investment banking division isn’t easy, but with the right prep, you can absolutely make it happen. Start by tailoring your resume individually to the firm and make sure to practice early on for the online assessments. Prepare for behavioral questions (the STAR method might help) and brush up your technical knowledge in financial concepts. Practicing with peers or working with a coach can get your skills to the next level and boost your self-confidence. We wish you much success! 🚀
