Lorna Stevens - Finance
Where are they now?

• What's changed since we filmed you last?
• What's been the biggest highlight so far?
• What has been the most challenging part so far?
• What business area and type of work are you working on now?
• What have you learnt the most by being on the graduate programme?
• Are you where you thought you'd be?
• What's next?
• Is there any advice you can offer to someone thinking of joining Barclays?

What’s changed since we filmed you last?

Quite a lot has changed for me since I was last filmed. I finished my accounting exams, while still on the grad scheme and I’ve also made the decision to move from Northampton down to London. So I now work out of Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf.

What’s been the biggest highlight so far?

I’ve really enjoyed all the different kinds of people I’ve met - we all came from different backgrounds and different universities. I also enjoyed the studying part of the grad scheme as it was good to get to grips with the technical side of accounting, which I had no experience of. The opportunities for training and development have been great as well. I’ve attended quite a lot of courses, and enjoyed every one.

What has been the most challenging part so far?

One of the biggest challenges I faced was studying as well as working full time. It’s really difficult to motivate yourself to go to college every single Saturday and Sunday and not have a social life. But it was certainly worth it and now I’ve finished, I have some freedom again.

What business area and type of work are you working on now?

Currently, I’m working in the business transformation finance team within Barclaycard. I’m responsible for all of the consultancy events and travel requests for Barclaycard, so I appraise them and determine whether they add value to the business. I also reconcile travel that is applied for and travel that’s booked, and keep controls around that whole area of discretionary spend.

What have you learnt the most by being on the graduate programme?

Because we had the opportunity to rotate on the graduate scheme, you got to work with a lot of different characters and a lot of different roles, before deciding where your niche was and where you would fit best. As well as giving you a good overview of the business, it was a great way to learn how different people work. I’ve also learnt a lot more about Accounting and Finance, having had no previous experience when I started my job.

Are you where you thought you’d be?

In terms of where I’d thought I’d be at this stage, I’m more or less there. I envisaged being down in London, so I’m glad that I made that move. In terms of my role, I’m in a slightly more commercial role than I was when I worked in Northampton, and that’s been really good for me because it was always my long term plan anyway. I’ve not had any international experience yet, but there’s still time.

What’s next?

The next big challenge for me is to complete the practical, I need experience for my professional qualification. I’ll finish that in September, then it has to be submitted to be assessed. After that, I’ll have those letters after my name and I’ll be fully qualified.

Is there any advice you can offer to someone thinking of joining Barclays?

If you want to join Barclays, you have to be the kind of person who embraces all the opportunities presented to you. Make a real effort to get to know people who already work at Barclays and start building your network of contacts before you even get here. Also, make the most of every opportunity throughout the selection and recruitment process - interviews, assessment centres, all of that - because it will make a real difference once you start.