Finance Intern Review

As I went into the internship under the Scholar's programme I'm studying Psychology as opposed to a more relevant degree for work within banking. This meant the internship was a little tricky at first but I was well supported and I wasn't given any work I was incapable of doing. The internship focuses on personal development for the intern so I enjoyed the internship a lot as I felt like I wasn't just there to benefit a big company but to benefit myself.

The work is very team-focused with a lot of collaboration and so you do see a lot of each other during the internship. But it's not just all work as a lot of events were organised during the 2 months I was there which provided good opportunities to get to know everyone. Everyone seems genuinely interested in you and not just to help you find the best work for you to do but out of interest in you as a person.

As I came into the internship not knowing much about the area I was worried I would struggle, but there was plenty of support available from my manager and the supervisors of all interns. Not only were there interactive courses I was encouraged to take part in to further my understanding of what is done/why, but I felt free to ask questions or be pointed in the right direction if I was unsure. Overall I felt far less like my manager was a 'boss' figure I shouldn't bother, but that she wished for me to develop and succeed.

I did feel that I could have had more to do - I was busy for the whole workday but I did feel somewhat that I was just being given work other team members had been given but did not want to do. A lot of my time some days would be clicking buttons and waiting for programs to finish running. I think it was understandable as that's kind of what interns do is take on work handed down by team members but it was sometimes quite boring work and didn't really stretch me or involve much thought or work.

I was given responsibility during the internship - especially for other projects being done in addition to day-to-day work, but it was at a level that someone else could step in if it was going a bit off course. For me I found this a positive as I'd personally rather have less responsibility than too much as for some work I was responsible for, it was good to be able to reach out for help when time became strained. There is a focus on interns working on presentations together that we are entirely responsible for, which was informative for team-building.

I think the area of banking not really being relevant to my degree is something that can't be avoided so a lot of the work was useful in general for experience of wider work in a large organisation with a structured managerial hierarchy, but wasn't specifically useful to my degree. However I was given the opportunity to feed skills from my studies into the work I was doing by producing a presentation on mental health for the team. I think a lot of the personal development and skills-based learning would be relevant to any degree so useful learning overall.

There was a good atmosphere in the office as there was a big focus on collaboration so there was no deathly silence. Naturally it's not going to be fun and games and it was a serious working environment but it wasn't all work and no play. It certainly wasn't a dull environment as there was often something going on to switch to i.e. meetings or a charity event being ran so the day wasn't monotonous.

There were plenty of organised aspects to the setup with events for interns to network and get to know the business. The systems were well explained and easy to navigate so it was rare to be confused about where/when something was or who was attending. Overall it's a very well set-up internship to ensure you get fully supported and you're able to make the most of it.

There is a lot of both e-learning activities I was encouraged to take time to take part in, in addition to mandatory events and training to get to know the business and get started. There's also a wide range of choice so the training would be relevant to any degree as there is training not just on banking subjects but leadership and mind-set's too. The aim of the internship certainly seems to be you getting the most out of your time.

I do think they offer appealing placements but there is no pressure within the internship to even be looking for a place in the financial sector at all. As such my rating isn't to say their places aren't good but that as a Psychology student it isn't what I want to do. I do think someone who wanted to be involved in banking would find the group very highly appealing.

Plenty of intern-supervisor organised events, and also many events organised outwith work. As you're all more or less in the same boat you get along well. I do think it is helped by the group as not only do they organise some events but they encourage you to work together on projects even if you're in different sides of the building.

I stayed at home for my internship but as Edinburgh is a student-heavy city there are a lot of deals. In terms of lunch during work there were many lunch deals available like Sainsbury's, co-op and boots, and also a poundland for snacks etc. For personal socialising there's a big and cheap club scene.

There is a lot of clubs in Edinburgh so there was plenty on. It was also Fringe time during my internship so there were shows on any night, any topic. So whether comedy, music, or circus is your thing there was something for anyone. Even in the weeks of my internship before Fringe time it was never a boring night.

As Lloyds Banking Group put on a charity challenge there are always charity events to take part in after work, as well as intern events. Pub quizzes and going to the horse races featured often. There were also general team drinks and you didn't feel left out as an intern as everyone was invited along, though with no pressure to attend if it wasn't your thing.