Beyond Code: My Two Years at Barclays
10th July 2023, Pune – First day on the job.
When you’re dressed a little too formally, with a fresh notepad, and trying not to look lost.
The day was packed with orientations — Barclays’ RISES values — followed by interaction with the leads and exploring the Pune campus. For the first 15 days, Hyatt Regency was home, which meant independence, casual strolls, and boy, who could forget those relaxing jacuzzi evenings 🛀☺️.
The first couple of months were a flurry of KT sessions and hands-on training in PL/SQL, UNIX, and Autosys. I still remember a senior walking us through a massive SQL query, my eyes widened before I realized it had “just” 150 table-columns. Simultaneously, I also contributed to a poc for anomaly detection using time series analysis.
Then came the real game. From designing rerunnable scripts and optimizing workflows in AE Tool Decommissioning, developing PL/SQL packages for Analytical Review, and buidling python pipelines for FX rate ingestion in Liro FX Rates, I had the chance to solve varied technical challenges across teams and domains.
March 2025 – promoted to Software Developer 2.
A milestone that made me appreciate how much I’d grown since that first day.
Through it all, I had unwavering support from my line manager Atul Watts, whose steady guidance shaped my approach, and mentor Abhishek Agrawal, whose thoughtful feedback elevated my work.
There were lighter, yet equally rewarding, moments too. Leading new ideas in Barclays Global GenAI hackathons and on-campus AWS Deepracer as well as seeing side projects spark conversations beyond the team.
Outside work, lunch debates turned colleagues into friends, fussball skills improved one match at a time and team cricket kept the competitive 🔥 alive.
In this journey, I’ve realized it’s not just about the code you write or the projects you ship but also the people you meet, the moments you share, and the unexpected events that shape you✌🏻.
