Project Assistant Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my internship. I expected to be doing a lot of observing, watching and listening but in reality I have been given a whole host of responsibilities and tasks and my own project to work on, in a friendly and engaging team.

I felt very valued, numerous colleagues have approached me to catch up, talk about my role and my future and offer their experience and advice which made settling in and finding my way much easier.

I was given a lot of support by my manager, having fortnightly catch ups with my line manager and weekly catch ups with my task manager to discuss my progress and development and ensure that I was on track. This helped me focus on which areas I needed to work on and showed me what I am strong at.

I was largely extremely busy, having tasks to complete every day and never feeling like I had nothing to do or being bored.

I felt like I was given the right level of responsibility, with the level ramping up each week so that I could feel like I was progressing and developing.

I believe the skills I have developed will be indispensable for any role which I undertake in the future, especially my stakeholder management skills which I have developed and the computer skills which have been enhanced by the internship

The atmosphere in my office was very friendly, welcoming and engaging. I never felt like I couldn't approach anyone, members of the team would regularly come and approach me and I felt very much settled within the office environment. It was a good working atmosphere, with concentration, but equally was not too overly formal and there was room for a more informal approach. I always had a desk in the office, and I was shown very early on anything and everything that I needed to know.

I believe my internship was brilliantly organised. I was never left without anything to do, and it was made clear to me a fortnight before I arrived exactly what I would be doing and when. My line manager provided me with a spreadsheet timetable for my first 2 weeks which was extremely useful in helping me find my way initially, and the level of responsibility and engagement increased steadily and at an appropriate rate as the internship went on. Equally, there was an established and clear process for my assessment which made it easier to track my own development.

The firm invested a lot in terms of my development. Regular time was set aside by numerous colleagues to talk to me, introduce me to different business areas and processes and to help educate me on the way the company works. Equally, I was given access to numerous online training courses and modules, taking courses on Risk, Project Management and Banking Safety, which allowed me to broaden my skillset and develop transferable skills during my time. I was encouraged to use this software and was given regular guidance and advice.

I believe future employment prospects are very appealing. As part of my internship I have been continually assessed over the 10 weeks and have received an interview from my line manager. This will be used alongside further assessment documentation to refer me hopefully onto the Graduate Programme for LBG. Therefore the prospect of employment for this internship is extremely good, as the process allows you a fast track into Graduate applications, which is very attractive as a university student entering his final year.

The social scene amongst my fellow interns was excellent. The vast majority of us were housed, and paid for, in university style accommodation in the centre of Leeds. This allowed for a good level of social activities, encouraging networking and meeting new people amongst the interns and allowing for a good experience of the city. Equally, the Responsible Business Challenge which we were required to take part in also encouraged sociability and interaction between fellow students, allowing for a generally rewarding experience.

The cost was cheaper than I had expected, and overall pretty good. My accommodation was paid for by Lloyds, in Leeds, which was a great help and allowed me to receive a greater proportion of my pay. However, there was an added degree of cost given that my actual placement was in Halifax, therefore I had a daily commute to get there which incurred added cost. Nevertheless, Leeds is a huge city and there is plenty to do so this allowed for a variety of activities, meaning not everything was necessarily expensive.

The nightlife in Leeds was excellent. Leeds is a huge city, and where I am from is much smaller in terms of size, so for me it was a great experience to come to a bigger city and experience some better nightlife. The group of interns based in Leeds was quite large at around 20 and so this provided for a good group of people who were open to enjoying the nightlife, and I felt like I have had a good opportunity to make the most of it!

There were not too many opportunities to be honest to get involved in activities outside of work, because of the fairly long hours involved. However this is not necessarily a bad thing, and I would argue that a lot of time outside of work was filled with social activities which was a positive. The charity challenge was an opportunity to get involved in activities outside of work however, and this was beneficial in encouraging travel for fundraising purposes - for example, I conducted a bucket shake in Ilkley one weekend.