Operational Support Officer Review

PLEASE NOTE: This review was for a placement at Lloyds TSB prior to Lloyds TSB merging with HBOS to become Lloyds Banking Group. (The RateMyPlacement Team) I enjoyed the role alot as i was able to mix with alot of different levels of staff. The job overall wasn't particularly challenging but if you look around there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in different tasks. I really got on well with the people that i worked with and they would always help or advise me when i asked, which i appreciated alot.

I felt a large amount of appreciation from colleagues when i did work for them because sometimes and not always i was able to add more value to the piece of work. I was constantly praised for good pieces of work and was rewarded at the end of my placement through the rewards and recognition scheme for the all the hard work i had put in over the 14 months i was there, so i felt really appreciated by my colleagues after that.

I was given alot of support when needed but i was also free to make the most of my placement and get involved in different things. I had very good support from my Operations support team colleagues and also support from a couple of guys who worked in my building who were in a different team so i was able to get guidence from them aswell.

With the reporting cycle it could be really busy for 2 weeks and 2 weeks when it would be quiet or when i was working alongside the Sarbanes Oxley team and completing tests to input into the system we would pretty much be constantly trying to keep up to date with all of our tasks.

I was given quite alot of responsibility because i was completing and uploading SOX tests, which could if done wrong could get the bank into trouble with the possibility of being fined and if lots of mistakes then could get the Director of Group IT to be sent to prison. All my reporting activites were also prime examples as it is imperitive that i provide the Risk Partners the correct data and information in order for them to make the correct decisions.

I definitly think i have become more organised and more focus on what i want to achieve. I definitly think i will be able to manage groups better when it comes to doing group tasks. I will set targets and deadlines better when it comes to courseworks so that i will not be rushing to complete work in the final days leading to the deadline.

I think the atmosphere was relaxed in the office, we were allowed to wear anything we wanted but most people would wear a shirt and smart pants, and the fact we didn't have to wear a tye unlike if we went to London i think made the atmosphere more relaxed.

I think it was quite well organised but at times i think there was a lack of communication. I had a buddy assigned to me at the start but after 1 email, i never heard from the guy again. opportunities were sometimes be given to London based placement students and the Manchester and Birmingham based students wouldnt get anything offered. We were howether given a timetable and every few months we would spend a day in London for a different training course. There was also a chance to get onto the accelerated learning scheme, which meant there was a wider range of workshops to attend to enhance your skills.

Personally when it came to my own personal training i think they invested into me, with certain training courses and trips to different parts of the business i made and overall they also invested abit into the students by providing workshops for us to attend to improve our skills.

More technical jobs are being outsourced in IT and with the credit crunch i'm not sure how many students they are willing to take on. I know that this year they have taken less on in Manchester but not sure how many in London

It was okay, I was living back at home in Bolton and most of them were renting so it made it difficult to socialise outside work, when the only thing students do is drink.

A couple of miles down the road into Didsbury was the best place to find entertainment to socialise.

Didsbury is quite lively, we had a few charity events there, and it was always busy.

There wasn't any opportunities apart from whether we arranged to something when we apart of the Manchester Mission which is a group of Industrial Placement Students raising money for charity by organising different events.