Portfolio Management Analyst Review

I have enjoyed my internship at Lloyds, mostly because I found the work has suited me and my financial background. Aside from that I have felt comfortable with the people I have been working with and have been well taken care of as an intern. The charity challenge Lloyds interns take part in has also added a bit of variation to the internship, and gave me something to get involved in with other interns.

I was involved in a project from the start of my internship and this responsibility given to me made me feel valued straight away. My colleagues listened to me and were very willing to help, they also made sure to include me in any relevant meetings/events which helped me to feel like a real member of the team.

My line manager was always available for questions and willing to help me when I needed it. This made it easier to settle in as I was given plenty of learning materials and guidance at the beginning of my internship. Everyone supervising me made sure to put some time aside to give detailed explanations of the work they were doing and the goals they were trying to achieve.

When involved in the project I was busy every day, although doing slightly repetitive work (this was however the nature of the project.) I went through a quiet patch for a week or so however I was always given something to do when I asked for it. Attending meetings etc meant my days were pretty varied.

I think the level of responsibility matched my ability, I was responsible for the certain element of the project I was involved in, that being preparing/collating data. I was given responsibility when I asked for it but wasn't made to feel out of my depth at any point, and could easily ask for help if I was.

Certain elements of banking/finance that I learnt will assist me in finance based modules, but other than that my degree studies won't be too affected. The experience I've gained will definitely assist me after university, given that I learnt a lot about banking it should help me get a job in this industry and the internship gives you a head start when entering the industry. Skills for example on excel are critical in a lot of banking roles, so having improved these over the internship will also assist me I the future.

It was pretty quiet in my own office, but team events are organised so people seem to get on well and have a good rapport. Everyone around me was friendly and so the atmosphere felt relatively relaxed, people just get on with what they're doing but do work together when necessary. It wasn't the most fast-paced environment where I was located but this is just dependent on the role.

My own internship was well organised due to my line manager, I was involved in a lot of work and had a development plan etc put in place. There is a lot of focus on the interns and advice is given when needed, we had regular webinars at the beginning for example to get us more accustomed with what is important to fit in at LLoyds. There is space for a few more intern events as it was hard in a quiet department to get to know many other interns.

I definitely felt invested in, a plan was set up to make sure the work I was involved in was developing skills I could use after the internship. It was easy to get exposure to the whole bank, as I visited other departments and got help and explanations from various members of the bank.

The grad scheme consists of 4 6 month rotations and so is appealing as you get a rounded view of the operations of the bank. Having done an internship makes future employment prospects more appealing as you learn a lot about the culture of the organisation on the internship, and you obviously have a head start in making connections. A lot of interns get grad jobs from the internship so it's a good foot in the door.

As said it was hard at points to meet other interns, due to being in a quiet department. Lloyds do provide accommodation for some interns so I think this improves the social scene, but not being provided accommodation made this difficult for me. Events were organised within my team/office which helped me to settle in workwise though.

London is obviously expensive, but this is to be expected. I commuted from home which is expensive travel wise, but I did earn enough to cover it. Staying in London would mean less time commuting but obviously accommodation is pricey, Lloyds do provide it if you live far away so this saves a lot of money.

London nightlife is pretty busy, there is a lot to take advantage of, again I think this is to be expected. There is always things going on if you want to go out and it's a good way to meet other interns, everyone is pretty willing to meet up and go out. This is easier if you stay in London, so was difficult for me living outside of London at points to join in.

The Charity Challenge at Lloyds gives you something to get involved in besides your day-to-day work. People organise events, have cake sales etc to raise money for children in need and it keeps you busy. It's also a good way to meet other interns as you work closely with a team of roughly 10 people. There were events organised such as a summer barbeque for my immediate team that I went to.