Contractor - Manufacturing Team, SME Banking Review

I really enjoyed my internship. The team I worked within were really supportive and approachable, and always made sure that I had plenty of work to do. They really pushed me out my comfort zone and have helped me to improve as a person - I feel a lot more confident and capable of doing things I never thought I would be able to. They ensured I got a broad understanding of the area I worked in and so I feel as if I will come away really feeling like I have learnt something and improved myself.

My colleagues made me feel really valued. They communicated with me every single day to see how I was getting on - both with work and my personal life. I really feel that I have met a group of people that I will stay in contact with after my internship has completed. They really praised me on all work that I've done and made me understand the importance of what I was doing. When joining the internship I was really worried that my colleagues would give me the work that they didn't want to do, but this has not happened at all and so I feel really valued.

My line manager, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] has been absolutely fantastic throughout my internship. He has always been there to ask for help and guidance when I have needed it, and has always had time to sit down with me and explain things in further detail if needed. If he isn't in the office, he has made sure that I know I can email or ring him if needed. Ben arranged extra training for me outside of the office with a group of accountants, as I felt like I was slightly unsure about accounts as I had never looked at them before. He has really supported me throughout and made sure that I understand exactly what it is that I am doing.

I have been really busy on a daily basis, but this is not an issue for me as I love being busy. I was given a list of projects to complete in my second week which I have been working on since and which has constantly been expanding. Although I have been very busy, I have not been too busy and have really enjoyed the work I have been given.

I feel as if I have been given a great amount of responsibility during my placement - much more than I imagined I would be given. The projects I have been set have a real affect on the business and so they are of utmost importance.

My team have really pushed me during the time on my internship, so I feel that the skills I have learnt I would not have necessarily got from anywhere else, and these will really help me in my future. I have developed public speaking and presentation skills, which have always terrified me - I now feel confident in these. I have also improved my organisation, timekeeping, research and communication skills, which are all really important during my degree and beyond.

As I am working in commercial banking, the office is normally fairly quiet as many of my colleagues are out on client visits most of the time. However, I have not found this an issue as there is always someone around if I want to ask about something, and I have been quite happy to get on with the work I have been set. I have also been invited out on a lot of client visits, so I have not been stuck in the office all the time.

I feel that my team were really organised in relation to my internship. They had lots of projects ready for me already when I arrived, so I was never left with nothing to do. The only downside was the disorganisation with IT. My manager was unable to order me my laptop or phone until my first day, and these took over a week to arrive. He was also unable to order me log ins for the platforms I needed to use and any software I needed until my first day. This meant that I was unable to start any projects until late in my second week. I feel that managers should be able to order their interns what they need before they arrive so they have these on the first day. If I had everything I needed when I first arrived, I would've been able to crack on straight away and so realistically I would've got another 2 weeks proper experience out of my internship, which were lost due to lack of IT.

The company have invested a lot in personal training and development. On my first day I was asked what it was that I wanted to get out of the internship, what my weaknesses were and what personal developments I wanted to make. These have been a key focus throughout my internship and my team have done everything in their power to enable me to carry out activities that will enable me to develop.

Very appealing - I am a Lloyds Scholar so I am definitely going to do another placement next year, with the hope of getting onto the graduate scheme.

We had a really good social scene in Leeds - living with other interns was the best way to get us all connected. We went out for meals and did other activities some evenings in the week, went to the gym together and went out at weekends.

The cost of living was paid for me by Lloyds Bank. The cost of living was fairly reasonable in the area I worked.

The nightlife was really good!

There were many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work with the other interns - we were all living together so it was really easy to plan things and get involved. There were also activities nearby that you could get involved with if you wanted e.g. gym, clubs, classes etc.