Digital Implementation Analyst Review

I certainly have enjoyed my time working for Lloyds Banking Group across the summer; I have been fortunate to be placed within a great team consisting of a mix of experienced permanent employees, contractors, graduates on the graduate placement scheme and also permanent employees that have rolled off the graduate scheme. This mix of characters and former experience has been great to learn and develop from. I refrain from going for 10 'Best Job Ever' as I prefer to be quite active; while this internship position was fast paced, it was primarily sat at a desk in front of a computer.

The first couple of weeks I expressed my appetite to learn as much as I could, I believe this earned me the respect and value that I felt from my colleagues. They were quick to recognise that 10 minutes spent teaching me process 'A' could save them much more time across the future weeks by designating the process as my responsibility to carry out.

I was certainly aware that I had the support of my line manager upon request, often this was not needed due to the extent of the knowledge of my surrounding colleagues able to assist me immediately. Across my 10 weeks I had weekly catch ups with my line manager to discuss progress towards goals that we had outlined in week 1; and also had multiple meetings set up to gain insight into other areas of the Group and the roles of senior positions.

The beginning of the internship was fairly busy, a pace set by myself to learn as much as I could about the role and typical work expected of me. As I progressed this became more balanced as I was able to work independently upon projects/tasks. Toward the end of the internship however, I was left bored at times whilst waiting upon email responses to further progress with tasks. For the majority duration of the internship I would have been using this time to work on long term intern projects, but with these intern projects complete I found that I could have taken on a higher workload typical of the position.

To begin with there was the learning phase and understanding of how the team operated, during which I think it is understandable that little to no responsibility was given to me. After observing/shadowing regular processes, I was able to take on ownership of certain tasks; including presentations to relevant stakeholders of the work that we had been implementing, and also coordinating the requests of external teams engaging with our own.

I certainly feel that the knowledge I have gained about how such a large company operates implementing change into its digital infrastructure will be incredibly valuable taken into my placement year of my degree. In addition to this background knowledge, I have gained insight into the importance of certain skills and encouraged to begin teaching myself how to code online through Code Academy, a skill I hope to build and refine over the course of 2-3 years for when I return to the Group for a 2nd summer internship.

Depending upon the developments of external teams and how close we were to certain checkpoints within the month, the atmosphere would range from relaxed and controlled to frantic and stressed. I think this is expected with the heavy reliance upon external/beyond control factors working correctly in order to meet deadlines. The first month was structured and had clear progress and designation of projects, resulting in a calm and enjoyable atmosphere. In contrast, the following month's demand experienced by the team was quantifiably the highest ever, combined with outages and complications that obscured the plan of action, resulting in a stressed atmosphere; but nonetheless engaging.

I will not let my score be swayed by the comments and experiences of other interns in various roles within the same company. I feel that perhaps I have been fortunate to have secured an internship with the digital sector, due to its diverse and adaptable nature of work. The organisation of my role, exposure to other teams, insight to projects and future aspirations was very well structured. It was made clear that the 10 weeks were mine to own, I was able to organise opportunities without feeling restricted to the day-to-day responsibilities of the intern role title with the full support of my team and management - hoping to encourage others to branch out and pursue their own areas of interest. In terms of what was already organised for me - accommodation, travel expenses, training, equipment etc. All done with clear communication and efficiency.

Due to the short term period of the internship (10 weeks) there was not opportunity to pursue any of the official qualifications that are available to the graduate placement positions. However there have been many opportunities to observe, learn, present and research. Over the course of the internship I have been able to develop and demonstrate communication skills, time management, presentational manner, data analysis and an understanding of risk.

Due to the somewhat unique nature of my relation to the company, I know that I will have future opportunities. My scholarship with the Group provides two summer internships, with this being my first, the second will be in the penultimate year prior to graduation of my university. The outcome of that second internship may result in a opportunity to join the graduate scheme, this is certainly something I will consider if referred by my line manager; however I do have aspirations to be working abroad or in a more agile/mobile company.

For those that had been provided accommodation by the Group this was very apparent, and to an extent encouraged as networking to develop contacts for progression through the remainder of our degrees. The Group itself would hold monthly events open to all colleagues, whilst also providing intern only events. Across the 10 weeks we had also been set innovation and responsible business challenges in smaller competitive teams to be worked upon outside of the typical working day.

Fortunately the Group provide accommodation for interns that had been designated roles beyond commuting distance of their permanent address, and also covered the cost of travel up to the value of a zone 1 travel card. However, typical costs of living in central London e.g. food, were high, as expected of the capital. Social drinks were far more expensive when in comparison to other areas that I have lived in for an extended period.

Central London accommodates for all, although this is not an interest of mine so I am unable to comment on specifics.

Activities organised by the Group - to an extent, yes. I took part in a charity challenge run round Battersea Park and also assisted with the assessment centre of new applicants to the scholarship scheme. Outside of the Group itself, London during summer is full of life and activities for all sorts of interests and cultures. THe work load outside of the typical working day (9-5) was sometimes a factor but did not limit any opportunities.