Risk Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Lloyds Banking Group, as the team I was put in was young and very social. Moreover, there was a group initiative around wellbeing and flexible working arrangements which really helped to maintain a good work/life balance. An example being I was able to work instead of 9-5 I could work 10-6 which also meant my commute was less hectic and I wasn’t tired going to work.

I felt very valued by my colleagues at Lloyds Banking Group as I was put into a team and treated like any other member of the team. I had project work which had material impacts for the bank and as a result I was able to present my work to stakeholders – being trusted to deliver such tasks made me feel valued.

A big initiative within the department was around mentoring – so I was assigned a mentor as soon as I joined and had weekly 1-2-1’s with him. In these 1-2-1’s we could discuss any issues I was facing. On top of that, there was also a strong emphasis put on developing and feedback and this helped me massively to flourish in my placement.

On a daily basis, I would have enough project work to keep me occupied, there were times towards the deadlines of projects where I may have to stay late but that was rare. If your workload was on the light sight, you were encouraged to undergo some form of training, as that training will reap its benefits further down the line.

I was given as much responsibility is as possible for an analyst; as I was given my own work and did lead the analysis for my team’s quarterly monitoring review. While this was all still peer reviewed by management, I was also allowed to present to stakeholders. Putting this all into context I feel I was given important work and expected to deliver for the team.

I have learnt how to code, improved my Excels skills and my presentation skills all of which will help in future job hunting. More specifically learning about Basel will help me in one of my modules at university and generally getting into the routine of a working week will help my productivity in my final year.

The office was on the whole very young and social as well as there being 12 other placement students in the department of about 70. There was also a number of returning placement students as analysts – this helped prevent the office getting too formal or boring. There was an emphasis on wellbeing so there was always social events put in the calendar and they were normally well attended and fun.

I would say the placement was very well set up as there are a lot of placement students each year and it has been going on for a fair few years so there has been opportunities to learn from previous year groups what worked well and what didn’t. For me, I have had a diverse array of work which has tested and improved a number of skills both technical and softer. Moreover, I have had a lot of fun along the way – this is all down to how it has been put together (this includes a four day boot camp I went on with the other new starters).

In my first month, I went on a four day boot camp where we had classes on scoring and Basel which was not cheap. Furthermore, there has been plenty of courses which I have been able to go on and which have aided my development (this focused more on softer skills compared to boot camp). There is also a lot of in house training and knowledge sharing – there are so many opportunities available at Lloyds in the placement I was given.

I would gladly return to Lloyds in the future whether in the same department or possibly at one of the areas of the bank I have shadowed in my year here. For me, the initiative around wellbeing and flexible working is a big selling point. Furthermore, getting to know what and how the graduate scheme works (4x6 month placements) again appeals to me.

There was a very good social scene in our department as the office was really young; being situated in London there was a plethora of things to do. Even standard work drinks on a Friday albeit not always in glamourous location helped ensure the team did things outside of work.

Well, I lived in London so the costs were as you can imagine initially outrageous but you get used to it and the salary is adjusted for living in London but I and many others feel this is not sufficient. However, there are places within London which are reasonable such as Walkabout and other places such as Jamie’s and Las Iguanas which do have offer Lloyds discount.

Working in Liverpool Street you are very close to Shoreditch which has an interesting nightlife. Other locations in London which are more akin to a placement students budget would be Inferno’s in Clapham and there’s a variety of places in Camden which are a good night. There are many events in London you don’t get in other cities such as Museums opening late for adults (i.e. drink and learn).

London is a massive metropolitan area with many diverse cultures and tastes and there are plenty of opportunities it is just about seizing them. I played football on a Monday with a mix of people from my work and other placement students who were in the capital. Also from work there would be an attempt to always have at least one social a week – ranging from cinema to ice skating to just going for a drink at the pub.