Risk Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Lloyds Banking Group. They put a huge emphasis on making it a great place to work and there is a really good culture throughout the office. It was really interesting getting an insight into what it’s like working in the banking world and I picked up some invaluable skills that I will take back with me to university and future job roles.

I felt really valued by my team right from the beginning of my placement. We had regular team meetings which I was encouraged to contribute to and I was regularly asked to present my proposals to the wider team and share my ideas. I was treated exactly the same as everyone else in the team and several of my own strategy proposals were implemented during the course of the year.

The support felt by the rest of my team was of a high quality throughout my placement. From the beginning I felt really comfortable asking questions, which was really important as there was a lot of banking jargon to get used to! I was always given lots of guidance of what to do with my work and could always schedule meetings/phone calls if I wanted to get their opinions on my work.

Understandably at the beginning of my placement I wasn’t very busy as it takes a while to understand and become familiar of what is required of you within the role and to be granted access to certain computer software. However I think this is only natural and once I found my footing I had plenty to be getting on with. Having said this I was never overwhelmed and there was a great balance between my work and personal life as I never had to take work home or work over the weekend.

Again, this was something that increased with time. Over the course of the placement I was given responsibility for really big tasks, just like any other employee. My work really made a difference and with several of my own strategies being implemented, it was nice to think that my work would remain within Lloyds, even after I had left.

The biggest thing that has changed for me is my confidence, talking to rooms full of people has completely changed my outlook on speaking to people and presenting. My communication and analytical skills have developed and I have gained technical skills in excel and coding programmes such as Teradata and Le Mans.

There was a great atmosphere within the office and everyone was really friendly. There was a great social side to the workplace with regular nights out and team lunches planned. Everyone was really relaxed and catered to your needs, for example leaving early on a Friday to miss the traffic and making up the hours at a time that suited you.

The placement was very well organised and we were sent out lots of information prior to our start date. As well as this on arrival I was given a great induction into the role and found it easy to settle in with the rest of my team. There are also lots of activities set up that allow you to get to know the other placement students. For example we took part in a cross-country Charity Challenge where we competed with other sites across the UK to see who could raise the most money.

Lloyds definitely invested a lot in me in terms of personal development. In the first month I had already gone on 2 separate coding courses that also enabled me to travel around the country and stay in a hotel, all expenses paid for! There is a big emphasis placed on training and if there are any other areas around the bank that you are keen to see, you are encouraged to set up shadowing days.

This placement gives you a big head start on getting onto Lloyd’s Graduate Scheme as you do not have to go through the whole application process. However if the Graduate scheme isn’t for you there is also the opportunity to apply for permanent roles or find out about other areas of the bank through shadowing days.

There were 15 other placement students in the area I worked and we all got along really well. People made such an effort to get to know each other right from the beginning and lots of nights out were organised too. It made the placement so much better having lots of us scattered around the building as it felt like a stepping stone between work and university life.

I chose to live in Leeds throughout my placement as this is where I go to university. Rent in Leeds is still fairly reasonable, my 2 man flat in Hyde Park cost me around £360/month for my half. However those that lived in Halifax were able to pay much cheaper rent. Leeds is also marginally more expensive on the social side and in some pubs in Halifax you can even get a pint for £1.50!

Halifax is a very funny night out, especially if there are a small group of you! There are lots of different pubs, a few bars and a small number of clubs. However if you are looking for something a little more exciting and want to get away from the office, Leeds is only a short train journey away. Leeds has lots to offer in terms of pubs, clubs and bars. It was great to be able to pick and choose between the two, with Halifax being perfect for an impromptu night out and Leeds being able to cater for big do's and meals with my team or the other placement students.

What I loved most about my placement was that there were plenty of activities to get involved in outside of my 9-5 role. Whether it was charity work, volunteering at local schools or even social activities with the rest of my team like bowling or quizzes, there was always something going on! This made coming into work every day so much easier and also allowed me to get to know everyone on a social level which in turn made my actual role so much more enjoyable.