Assistant manager within the Customer Change and Innovation team Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship with Lloyds banking group. I was kept very busy, felt that my work was valued and also made to feel as part of the team. It gave me lots to consider about my future and what I am interested in. It also gave me a great insight into how the bank operates and works, showing me the other areas I could work in within the bank.

My colleagues made me feel like I was part of the team, working full time rather than just here for 10 weeks. I worked alongside my colleagues on their day to day work, had my own individually assigned tasks and attended all team meetings and projects, I which I also made my own contribution. I was provided with all the equipment a normal employee would have and access to all of the required levels for my job.

My manager and supervisor had set a clear timeline for my time within the placement. I knew what projects I would be assisting on and where I would be based for the duration of my stay. My colleagues were very helpful in providing help when I needed it and also provided me with training in the tasks that I would be conducting each day.

I was mainly kept very busy with my day to day activities and my project I was working on. This would alternate however and I would not have as much to do for some period of time before then being set all projects all at once. This often felt daunting but improved my time management skills so that I could prioritise the tasks and get them all completed before their respective deadlines.

I had the same responsibility as anyone else in my team. I led my own projects in which I had to communicate and arrange meetings to gather information. I also had time to present my projects to the whole team.

The training I received I will definitely use in my degree. The job trained me in how to use several reporting tools that will enable me to analyse data effectively and efficiently. I am sure that this will also apply to the rest of my life and will make me more attractive to any future companies I may wish to work for. I also have increased my confidence in a number of areas including communication, my ability to be brave and ask questions and teamwork skills.

My office was set far out from the centre of the city and wasn't the primary office for the business. As a result, it could often be quiet and lonely in the office, especially as the only other person from my team within the office was my line manager. On several occasions the office would be full and other times the office would be pretty much empty, especially on a Friday and as people can work from home.

The internship was organised and set up well and the application process was easy for me to follow.

The firm invested heavily in me, providing me with all the equipment and software that I needed including a new laptop and mobile phone.. I also spent a lot of my time travelling to different parts of the country for meetings, conferences and to work with different memebers of the team. This usually involved flying to a different part of the country. My accommodation was also provided for and I was paid a competitive salary throughout my time.

There is a clear transition on how I can get onto the graduate scheme with the company. This is an attractive opportunity as I enjoyed working for the company a lot. However the graduate scheme salary is not as competitive as other businesses in a similar field and there is no movement between different divisions. You also have to move around the county a lot for these 2 years rather than being based in one location.

All of the interns on the placement were staying in the same student halls. Therefore we all got on very well and did lots of events together. We also were split into Charity Challenge teams which meant that we could work together and run events, which further improved the social stance we had. We often explored the city together, attended events in the evening and met up for socials.

The cost of living is quite high in the area, especially for social events. The cost of buying a drink is often the same amount as that in London. However there are plenty of supermarkets around that are a cheap alternative to the bars and restraunts around. Living costs are paid for by the company however.

There are lots of bars and clubs that you can attend in the evening. These ranged in quality and price. Travel at night is very good and you can easily catch a bus to most places. There are also lots of taxis that you can get. The fringe festival was on through the latter part of the internship and this provided an amazing atmosphere within the city. As a result there was many more events that you could attend in the evening.

Yes, the interns all ran charity events as part of the charity challenge that we were involved in. We regularly attended each other groups events that included bar crawls, bowling nights, tournaments etc. There was also a 5 a side football team that you could play in every week. With the fringe festival there are loads of events every evening that you could attend. As a result, I worked 8-4 so that I could maximise my time in the evening at these events. My line manager was more than happy for me to work these hours which was great.