Quality, Control and Regulatory Programmes Review

I found it really enjoyable. Lloyds Banking Group has looked after me so well on the internship. I was provided paid for accommodation and was also given the opportunity to travel around the country and see other branches and offices. My internship is 10 weeks and allowed me to get a feel for Retail Business Banking, they didn't mind that I wasn't sure about going into the bank. Lloyds are happy to let you try and see how you feel, ultimately they want you to be in the area best for you. They have been supportive in ensuring I find a placement that suits me better next year at the bank. The people I work with are fantastic, they are friendly and we often meet out of work for dinner or for a coffee.

I feel incredibly valued. My senior took me out for dinner one night and allowed me to ask any questions I had, including unspoken topics like bonuses and pay cheques. My line manager made me feel at home from day one, as in our initial phone call he told me that if I ever had a problem- then it would be resolved. I never once worried about travelling far from home to go to the internship. If I ever struggle with a concept, someone is always happy to take 5 minutes to explain. My colleagues are interested in my personal life and career aspirations and support me in making relevant contacts that will help me progress. They are also there for personal support, to find ways to combat confidence issues and always offer feedback on the work that I have done.

I was in contact with the Head of my team, the lady below her and my line manager. All of whom would happily spend 1-2 hours out of their day to talk to me in calls, to discuss progress, aspirations and to explain tasks. My line manager organised lots of shadowing opportunities, while my boss ensured that I had relevant names to contact in order to find out more about different areas of the bank. Not only was I supported, but I was challenged and given the opportunity to improve, to network and to meet new people.

I was given a mixture of tasks. I led the task to create a team blog and another to teach colleagues a social network system that was specific to the brand. I was then responsible to assist and improve inventories, I also had data analysis tasks. At the beginning I was not so busy, but after a few weeks I was fully engrossed in work. It never felt stressful and I was always able to ask for more to do if I felt like I didn't have enough or that I wanted to be challenged. I wanted to improve my presentation work so they allowed me to lead a few calls.

I was by far from making tea in my placement. I led two projects, assisted in 2 other major ones and also was trusted to finish off some less exciting but mandatory work which needed to be done. My line manager made sure my tasks were varied and I was often trusted to get on with tasks, I produced data analysis spreadsheets and graphs for meetings. I also introduced a blog and taught colleagues how to use Hive.

The skills I have developed at the bank are by no means specific to banking. In my history degree, it has refined my analytical skills and improved my ability to be concise in what I say and do. You often find at the bank there are a lot of things to do- it has refined my organisational skills and my ability to get a lot of tasks done in a short amount of time. The Internship has allowed me to establish a routine which will help in my second year of university, I know that I can focus for long periods of time and I also know the value of taking breaks. Lloyds has improved my skills in networking and improved email and telephone communication.

I was based in Teviot House in Edinburgh. It was an incredibly relaxed atmosphere, you were expected to dress well but it wasn't extremely formal. Fridays were dress down days where you could come in your jeans. I never felt stressed, the office was quite relaxed. The general idea was to get your work done and leave. It was agile working, so I could come in at 8 and leave at 4 or 9-5. It depended on my plans. If I had family up I could do a condensed day and skip my lunch. You got an hour for lunch and was encouraged to take it. You were never expected to work over unless you wanted to. If you wanted to leave early one day then you could work late the day before, or come in earlier. As long as you got work done, you were ok to go and get a drink or have a toilet break. It was chilled and I had a fun relationship with my manager, but it was still a serious working environment.

Incredibly well. Lloyds paid for and organised all my transport to and from the internship and the accommodation. I was in contact with my line manager before it began and I also had support from a mentor before. Lloyds set up video/telephone conferences in the run up to the event to let you know what would happen, how to behave and what to expect. My line manager had put together a ten week plan for me, that allowed for additional shadowing and charity activities that I might like to take part in. I felt very comfortable with what was expected and what would be achieved in my time at the bank.

From day one I completed online training. The company allowed me to travel to Kent, London, Bristol and Edinburgh throughout the internship and made sure I had seen all the parts of the bank that I was interested in. They paid for my time there and colleagues always took the time to explain things to me and make me feel welcome. My boss gave me confidence advice and colleagues shared their career histories.

If I return next year for an internship and do well, it is almost certain that I will be placed on the graduate scheme. Lloyds value those who work hard and do well on their internships. They take on a lot of graduates.

We all lived in the same accommodation and were mostly left to organise between ourselves. We had a few good socials and I have made some great friends. I met up with a few colleagues from work, but it was mostly other interns I spent spare time with.

Lloyds paid for the accommodation. Edinburgh however is an expensive city, it was amazing and my work was paid so it wasn't a financial hardship to be there.

Good clubs and bars

The charity challenge allowed interns to work and volunteer together on a project outside of work. You get assigned a group and you have to work together to raise the most money and awareness. The competition is run across the whole country, the winning team gets to meet people high up in the bank and gets gift vouchers. Its a great way to socialise and meet other interns.