Barclays Capital and Norwich Union

[Cowboy Bob]

Nu was so long ago(1998), its probably changed so will not comment...although I did enjoy it up there(even tho they talk funny)

I was there in 1998 as a permie (NOP project if you remember that particular disaster). Seriously, unless you play golf everyone will look down on you. If you've got a low handicap, you're well in.

[Cowboy Bob]

How so?

If you enjoy having meetings about the meetings about the meetings that were held last week, you'll love it...

[Ivor1]

And you HAVE TO wear a tie

[thunderlizard]

Can't speak for Norwich Union but I have put a few guys Barcap's way lately. They are most definitely hiring. Problem is, when that happens you do get a feeding frenzy of agencies trying to get in on the act, when they don't have a contract to supply.

[Denny]

If you enjoy having meetings about the meetings about the meetings that were held last week, you'll love it...

I'd hate it then. I like to get things done and get frustrated when I am too tangled up in a quagmire of bureacracy, protocols and time wasting buck passing.

As far as I'm concerned a process or procedure is only as good as its effectiveness. If it isn't doing what it is supposed to do I don't abide by it and accept the consequences, I just ignore it. Then I get terminated.


Sounds like I'm not missing much apart from a lot of meetings.

[Hart-floot]

I think only about 10 people actually work for NU, all the rest work for implants of various other companies. They'll all say they work for NU, but they don't...

Thats cos they all work in India these days. Any operation that wasn't based in Norwich quickly gets shut down and faxed over to India.
Is the NU Life IT still going on in York?

[weboo]

NU - even back in 98, they started recruiting many workers from India, at the time the permies didnt like it as they thought they were secure in the fact that no-one wanted to live AND work in Norwich. Rates used to be VERY good(I was on 600 a day), but becuase of the indians coming in - many contractors had to go and rates were lowered....thats why I left anyway

Barcap - remember, what you read in the press etc about customer service is probably Barclays Bank or Barclaycard. Although they are part of the Barclays group, they are very different. At barcap its high tech and leading the way with technology...the rest all fall behind. Yes its political, but you will find many IB's are like that becuase there is no room for error and they get things right first time. If you are a contractor getting paid by the hour...then who cares! I'd recommend working there and I'd also go back one day. But its a big company with 100's of apps and 10's of 1000's of servers and 100's of projects..so you could be anywhere

[YumMum1]

BarCap - to be avoided

I've knocked back Barcap - sounded too much like hard work.

I've just come to the end of a contract with BarCap and I'm delighted to be getting out - pays well but the disorganisation and the politics - the IT department is disorganised and chaotic - to be avoided if you can afford it!!!

[YumMum1]

When I interviewed at Barcap there were two managers there from different teams who gave me the "good cop/bad cop" treatment. They were constantly trying to throw me off guard with pointless and aggressive questions. I found out later that what goes on is that the non-hiring manager will feel threatened if a good candidate turns up and try and stuff up the process for other manager.

They also tend to have 3 or more interviews for even the lowest level coding roles. Apparently the more candidates you interview (and reject) the more discerning you must be.

Unfortunately I got through the interview process. One of the worst places I've ever worked in terms of politics and red tape and people generally tring to stop you doing your job. This is of course specific to one part of the business and it may be different in other areas but I know a few other contractors who have had the same experience.

My current agent told me he can't find any developers in London who haven't already interviewed at Barcap.

Totally agree - this company is full of big sw**ging d**cks who have no idea what they're supposed to be doing...

[BillHicksRIP]

And you HAVE TO wear a tie

Does that apply for Radbroke Hall too?