Contractor - Colleague IT Service Desk Review

It was exactly what I hoped for and more. I asked to be put in Leeds, and I wanted an IT/problem solving placement and that's exactly what I got. I have enjoyed working in this office. The team is so lovely, and they aren't afraid to stretch me and set me challenging work. I was worried I'd be bored but it's been the opposite. A real insight into the team's work.

They have welcomed me in so well. I haven't had a single day where I've felt unwelcome or unnecessary. Sometimes, the work has been a bit tough and I've needed some help, and every person I've asked have gone above and beyond to help me. I've been set real work, which is important to the team, and this makes me feel valued.

My manager would regularly sit with me for over half an hour to go over my work, even though he's very busy with his own workload. He has pushed my personal development, encouraging me to organise and present at my own meetings to OM's and team members. This has really boosted my confidence and given me experience of something completely new to me. The team never left me to present alone, and were always there to back me up.

It really has been the perfect balance. Not every day has been full on, fast-paced and busy but some days have. I have still had a relaxing summer which was very important to me as uni can be stressful. I appreciate being able to manage my own workload and my time, and the flexible working start/end time for my shift has helped me to get the most out of my free time.

The work my desk does is really advanced and takes years to master, so obviously I haven't been 'running the show'. I have been tasked with a number of projects and I have been given a lot of freedom with how to do it. My responsibilities have grown throughout the internship and have built up really well. If my team had started me off doing the work I am currently undertaking, I would have been fried. But I have built up a great deal of skill and knowledge in this business area over time and am now confident.

Managing my time, communicating with colleagues, delegating workload, IT skills, an in depth knowledge of a specific and transferrable branch of the company, presentational skills, problem solving and logical thinking, confidence, organisation, active listening and taking notes - all skills I have learned or developed throughout my time here. I have made lasting friendships with some of the people on my team too.

The people in my team are fantastic, and the whole office has a real family vibe. People are so keen to help - I raised over £500 for charity during my time here. The office lost a lot of people to restructuring which was really sad, and made the desk feel quite empty most of the time, especially with people off on holiday. The team were always ready for a chat and a laugh and I got to know them really well.

Truly seamless. I know my team has had interns here in the past and it really shows. They were really prepared for all of my questions and kind of predicted the things I got stuck with. They set me up with a desk and all my equipment was ready and waiting for me. I started the internship with a clear set of objectives to complete, aligned to he company's core values, and have completed them all.

I don't really understand this question, but I have developed a lot as a person throughout my time here.

Working for Lloyds isn't really aligned with my degree or my interests, but I have enjoyed this work so much more than I thought I would. I would happily work with my team again in the future as it's been such a fun experience. I have learned a lot in a short time and I like that.

There was a good social scene, but I didn't get that involved. I spent a lot of time at weekends with my boyfriend and my family and friends from home. The girls in my flat were lovely people but really dirty, and I wouldn't ever want to live with them again. Ever.

Going out was very expensive, drinks were >£8 which wasn't great and the clubs were always half empty. I brought my car with me and so was able to drive to Aldi and Asda, but otherwise I would have had to shop in Sainsburys or Coop which are both very expensive.

It was okay, but nowhere near as good as at home or uni. The flat was too hot to pre drink in and the clubs were dirty, expensive and half-full. I ended up leaving every weekend and going out in a different city with friends from home. I really needed to get out of the flat by the end of the internship as the people I shared with were not good at cleaning up after themselves.

Not really.