Barclays Encore! Programme Reboots Careers
Originally published on Barclays
After spending more than twenty years as a Senior Portfolio Manager on Wall Street, Maria Spinelli decided to take a break. She found herself reenergized after her professional sabbatical and desired to return to the workforce, but contemplated whether to pursue a new career path or leverage her asset management expertise.
At an iRelaunch return-to-work conference, Maria met 2017 Encore! fellow Clare Pickering who explained how the programme effectively helped reestablish her career.Encore!, Barclays' returnship programme, helps individuals re-enter the workforce and provides leadership and development training sessions, mentorship, networking opportunities, and a pathway to joining Barclays as a full-time employee upon completing the programme.
The Encore! programme proved to be a launch pad for the next stage of Maria's career. Upon entering the programme, she was able to apply her communication skills, analytical background, and knowledge in capital markets right away. Maria found her fit in a role within the Investment Bank and is now a Director in Fixed Income Financing. Her experience investing and trading structured credit and fixed income aligned well with the group’s objectives and strategies. She also largely credits her easy transition to the group’s strong support of the Encore! programme.
Barclays invites select applicants to participate in the paid 10-week Encore! programme focused on workforce re-entry. In addition to matching qualified candidates with open positions at Barclays, Encore! helps to increase diversity at the bank by broadening the pipeline of candidates who bring unique life experiences and perspectives to managing and navigating the workplace.
New possibilities are exactly what Priya Mascarenhas was hoping for after taking a break to focus on spending time with her family while living in Australia. A fortuitous encounter with a Barclays employee at a wedding after relocating back to the U.S. introduced her to the Encore! programme.
Priya was familiar with the company’s culture after previously working for several years in Credit Derivatives Structuring at Barclays. Encore! provided the opportunity for her to return in a new role, now as a Vice President in Complex Structuring in the Financial Resource Management division. Priya credits the coaching she received through the programme with helping her promote her personal brand and ultimately secure her current full-time role.
She especially values the mentorship that fellows received from senior management who helped with all aspects of the programme, from navigating the workplace, to engaging with colleagues, to eventually negotiating the full-time offer.
Maria and Priya both found value in the camaraderie they developed with other Encore! fellows who often leaned on one another for support and advice. Fellows spent 10 weeks at Barclays working in various divisions and also participated in leadership and development training sessions, visited Barclays’ RISE open innovation workspace and met with senior leaders.
Click here to learn more about the Encore! programme
