Intern in Commercial Banking Markets Review

I really enjoyed my time at Lloyds, the 10 weeks flew by -a sign that I was rarely bored. The fact that the internship was well paid was an added extra, but the best part has been the experience I've gained. I now have a much better idea of what career route I want to pursue in the future.

. Colleagues were genuinely interested in getting a fresh pair of eyes to re-evaluate existing processes which was refreshing. I was trusted to get on with my work, without someone looking over my shoulder the entire time. I was able to get involved in running team meetings, so was seen as a valued member of the team.

My managers were very good at explaining pieces of work to me and were very clear about my objectives. They also provided me with regular and constructive feedback which was very useful.

The more ad-hoc nature of my role meant that some days I was particularly busy but others were much less challenging. However, on the whole I had enough work to keep me occupied for the day.

I was constantly given work and able to make contributions to what the wider team was doing. There were a few pieces of work which I took ownership over, however I would've preferred a little more responsibility.

My excel skills have improved tremendously. I've also become much more accustomed to working in an office environment, I've learned a lot about how to build relationships with colleagues. Finally, I've learned much more about what sorts of financial analysis are beneficial to bring to the attention to managers.

Everyone in the office was always very friendly. There was a good balance of hard work and fun. Every morning we had a team meeting in which there was often a quiz, so the day always started on a high.

The internship on the whole ran smoothly, however I think there could've been more opportunities for intern networking and sessions to help build soft skills.

In my specific role, there was a big emphasis on development and my managers invested a lot of time in explaining various processes and products to me. However, I never met anyone in HR during my time there, so there could've potentially been slightly better personal development in a more general sense.

I would definitely be interested in pursuing a permanent role here in the future. The atmosphere in the offices is really good, there seems to be a good work life balance in comparison to other banks and I found the work on my internship very interesting.

Yes definitely. There were many interns also in London, with about 10 in my office alone and we all got on very well. There were also many graduates on the finance teams, so generally the teams had a sociable feel to them. We regularly went out for drinks after work or for social lunches.

Central London is obviously quite expensive to live and work in, however it didn't prevent me from joining in the socialising!

Obviously being in central London, there was a lot going on weeknights. If you wanted to go somewhere, there would be an opportunity most nights.

I think in a permanent role, there are opportunities to get involved with bank sports teams etc. However, that wasn't really possible during a summer internship.