HR Analyst Review

Overall, a very enjoyable internship. There were certainly moments when I was not enjoying myself, however, they were few and far between. More often than not, it was because I was unsure of what I was to be doing because of my own lack of experience, and my colleagues always did their best to help bring me up to speed.

Everyone in my team was very friendly and supportive throughout my internship. After the initial "get to know you" phase, I felt like I was not just an intern but a part of the team with concrete responsibilities for specific projects. I was given work that was genuinely important and this contributed to my feeling that I was seen as a key part of the team.

I was given plenty of opportunity to receive developmental support throughout my internship. However, my line manager/supervisor was conscious to not hold my hand along the way to allow us to learn for ourselves through on-the-job experience. If I ever had an issue, my management was available to help me resolve it or give further guidance.

I found that my work came in waves - there would be periods where I was swamped with things to do and there were other points during my placement at which I had very little to do and was actively seeking out activity. Much of this was because projects took less time to deliver than initially expected or for reasons beyond the control of my management - specific items being repeatedly delayed and the like. There is definitely more room for intern development activity beyond the initial webinars we received so that we can more adequately fill our time on our placements.

I had quite a lot of responsibility in the sense that I got to manage my certain key projects largely on my own. However, my individual responsibility was diminished when it came to larger team-wide projects. Regardless, most of my projects were self-managed so this was not a huge issue for me.

Above all else, this internship helped me develop a business acumen that I did not previously have. This is an important transferrable skill that will serve me well in future work placements. The project management and collaboration skills I gained will certainly be of use in my University life, where I often have to deal with conflicting deadlines/etc.

Everyone in my office was always very upbeat and lively. However, there were points of the summer during which there were very few people actually in the office due to holidays and Lloyds' agile working policy. Everyone in the office was very approachable. The only thing that stands out as a bit of a negative is the "hot desk" system - as interns who are new to an organisation, it'd be nice to have assigned desks as we might feel uncomfortable moving about as most in the office have de facto seats where they sit every day.

Most of the internship was run seamlessly and thoroughly planned. I would've liked for there to be info about where we were placed a bit sooner than it was made available, however, as LBG provided us with accommodation this is not essential. Very good induction event that I thought was very helpful, as it helped us get to know about the Group and meet some of our peers.

The Group definitely saw us as an investment for their own future, and it is with this perspective that they sought to actively develop our skills and talents. However, this was mostly done through webinars (of which there were four, if I remember correctly) focused around Group values and personal development. There was definitely room for more development activity, as the webinars ended before the internship was even halfway through.

I'd say that future employment prospects within Lloyds Banking Group are quite appealing as there is a good Group culture, great work/life balance and plenty of opportunity for advancement after the Graduate Scheme is over. However, the Lloyds Graduate Scheme pays slightly less than other comparable graduate schemes and this would motivate me to seek employment elsewhere. The Group also seems to be constantly cutting jobs, which would make me a bit uneasy if I chose to work with the Group in the long term.

There was a good social scene in my city, however, it often felt dominated by constant pressure to go on intern-organised nights out. It would be nice if there were a few more organised events for all interns, however, I understand that this is logistically challenging because of the geographical spread of the programme.

I was based in Edinburgh, which is not the cheapest city out there (especially during the summer) but it is certainly manageable with the salaries we were being paid. As accommodation was provided for us, this expense was eliminated and this made working for the Group for the summer a very attractive opportunity.

I'm probably not the best person to answer this, as I'm personally not a huge fan of nightlife. However, the reviews from my fellow interns sounded very positive. Edinburgh has great bars if you're looking to go for a classier night out as I tend to do. Nightclubs are not my area of expertise.

The Charity Challenge provided us with endless opportunities to get involved with more informal activities outside of work. Lloyds is also very keen on volunteering, and if I chose to do so, could have done this through their volunteering scheme. In terms of independent activities, there is plenty to do in Edinburgh during the summer when the Festival is on and this provides boundless opportunities for socialising with your colleagues.