ADD ADVICE TO FAVParin, Sales Delivery Manager, Barclays Commercial
Name: Parin
Degree: BSc. Government & Economics 2.1, London School of Economics and Political Science (graduated 2000)
Other qualifications: None
Current job: Sales Delivery Manager, Barclays Commercial
1. What does your current job involve? Describe a typical day at work.
My role is to act as an interface between the Commercial Banking executive and frontline sales staff – my focus in particular is to look at business development for the division, ie new corporate accounts that we are winning. Typical tasks include:
- providing insight in this area to the Commercial Bank and to Barclays Bank executive
- devising and running projects / initiatives that will help drive business development for Commercial Bank
- co-ordinating specific business-development roles and shaping how they interact with one another, ie development / upskilling of these people, sharing best practice
- managing the frontline sales force around performance – celebrating success but also challenging poor performance.
2. What other jobs have you had since graduating (including any others with your current employer)?
Sales & Marketing Executive with Fimatex SA, an online share-dealing company that was part of Societe Generale. The job involved selling the company’s services to private customers, providing marketing insight into competitors’ products and specific marketing campaigns to aid sales.
’Interaction with the senior exec gives me a great insight into how the business works.’
Relationship Development Manager with Barclays Bank plc. This job involved developing business in the mid-corporate sector (companies turning over £5m to £25m). I worked across industry sectors in the West London area to provide banking facilities to these types of firms, including implementation of all operational banking products and credit appraisals for debt products up to £10m. I would also maintain contacts with ‘key business introducers’ to promote Barclays’ services to other professional services with a similar client base, eg accountants, finance brokers and lawyers.
3. What do you like most about your current job?
I enjoy working with a lot of good people within the bank. Also, interaction with the senior exec of a major division of the bank gives me a great insight into how such a business works and the influential people that drive the agenda.
Working in a central function allows me to interact closely with other central functions such as marketing, strategy, communications and commercial management; this allows me to see different departments and how they function, which gives the job some variety.
I also enjoy being able to take a high-level view of this area of the bank and what fundamentally drives sales and business development for an organisation.
4. What do you like least about your current job?
As a central function, my job can sometimes lack the tangible milestones that measure performance. In a sales role, for example, there would be specific financial or customer-satisfaction targets.
The nature of the role and where we fit in the structure also means it can get quite ‘political’ sometimes – people with different agendas can sometimes hinder what central functions like us should be doing, ie helping frontline staff serve our customers and win more business.
5. What are the most important skills required to do your job?
- Communication / influence – to be able speak to people, understand their agenda and make them understand yours so that everyone achieves what they are trying to do.
- Stakeholder management – keeping the key people involved and informed to the correct level so that your work objectives and where you are with them are understood by all the relevant people (sometimes this is more of a ’cover your arse’ exercise!)
- Analytical – to be able to take information of what is happening in the business and:
- a) aggregate it (strip out the bullshit)
- b) simplify it (so it makes sense)
- c) provide insight into it (because that’s my area of expertise)
- d) communicate it to the right people and in a way that is simplified and that they can make a decision on it.
6. What made you choose this career path?
I kind of fell into it really. I didn’t have a particular career in mind after leaving uni but kind of knew it would be in finance. After being made redundant from my first job, I ended up interviewing for Barclays and just moved around in the Commercial Banking division.
’I might settle for being a house husband at some stage in my life if I find the right woman.’
7. What did you want to be when you were 12?
A pilot.
8. What is your long-term career goal?
I don’t have one. I might settle for being a house husband at some stage in my life if I find the right woman.
9. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I haven’t really had any really bad jobs. I worked as a Sales Attendant for Burton Menswear for a while – that was the job with least responsibility (and pay), so relatively it could have been the worst but at times I did actually enjoy it.
’Successful interns often get invited onto grad schemes – they don’t have to interview after finishing uni, they can spend the summer getting on the smash before starting work!’
10. What one tip would you give to someone currently at university wanting to pursue the same sort of career as you?
I would advise trying to get on a summer internship at a bank (most companies have schemes). Adding some practical, real-life work experience to your CV is invaluable and you get a feel for ‘corporate’ life. Also, people who are successful interns often get invited onto the grad schemes which takes the hassle out of having to interview after you’ve finished uni so you can spend the summer getting on the smash before you start work!
