Fraud Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year with Lloyds Banking Group. I have learned some invaluable skills, especially in computing and coding; whilst learning a bit about the risk and fraud industries. The work was interesting and varied slightly on a day to day basis, whilst the office working environment was quite relaxed and never too stressful.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues, they were welcoming when I first joined the team, always offering to put their knowledge and expertise forward in order to help me develop my own skills and understanding. As my placement year progressed I felt like a more vital member of the team and this was shown as I was trusted with larger and more important pieces of work as I progressed.

I had a line manager (Band E) and also another supervisor (Band D). I had weekly catch up calls with the Band D colleague, who knew my day to day role and the responsibilities which come with it, this was a great opportunity to ask questions on any current pieces of work, as well as using the time to develop my understanding and receive additional work. Meanwhile my line manager was always available for support and clarification on pieces of work.

In my particular role there was BAU (Business As Usual) work which would have to be completed every day, which would take up a large portion of my typical working day. However I would receive weekly pieces of work from my manager/supervisor to also work on during quieter parts of the day. As well as answering and responding to any additional requests from stakeholders regarding certain reports I produce as part of BAU. I became increasingly more busy towards the end of my placement as I was able to take on and understand more of the complex pieces of work.

I started off my placement with little responsibility as I learned about the role I had entered. However after being sent on a training course I was rewarded with an increase of responsibility in terms of the day to day work I was involved with. During the second half of my placement I took on many more large projects and pieces of work, and began to work more individually as confidence in my skills improved.

At the start of my placement I completed a 4 day coding course, which was needed for my role. This immediately improved my knowledge of coding and I was able to develop my understanding of the work/reports produced within my role. As well as this I have massively improved my overall computing skills, especially Microsoft Excel - again this learning was enhanced through another training course, which was online. Furthermore becoming a faster typist from the practice of sending numerous emails each day. I believe these skills will definitely enhance my studies in final year, as well as being transferable skills to take with me in my future career.

The atmosphere in my office was okay, I worked within a fairly small team however I got along well with all members of the team. The atmosphere would depend on which colleagues were working on a particular day, with colleagues having different working patterns. However the social side in terms of placement studies was very good. With roughly 20 placement students at the same site as myself, I was able to make friends easily.

The work placement was organised very well, there was a clear structure in place, and a clear role available for all placement students. Communication before my placement started was very clear in terms of contract, and starting date. As well as this I had a 6 month and 12 month review/meeting with the lead organiser from the contracting company.

Lloyds Banking Group immediately showed their investment in myself, as they sent me on a coding training course, which was needed to be able to complete day to day work within my role. They were keen to build up my coding and excel skills so i could complete BAU work confidently and independently. As well as this they were happy to allow me to receive any additional shadowing from other areas.

As a direct result of completing the industrial placement year, I have had an interview for the Graduate scheme which has saved me from applying online with other graduates from outside of LBG, and meant I do not need to attend an assessment day. The skills I have collected this year will be transferrable to many other roles inside and outside of LBG.

Yes, there was roughly 20 other placement students in the same location as me. This made me feel more relaxed when I started as there were many opportunities to meet people in a similar position to me. We were all introduced into the working environment together and took part in many activities together including fundraising/charity work raising money for MHUK, playing in the LBG football team and socialising after work.

Leeds - The north is way cheaper than down south! I paid roughly £95pw for my house (inc. bills) and would tend to socialise most weekends with other placement students.

Being a city with three different universities the nightlife in Leeds is fantastic, there is always an opportunity for a night out. There is a vast array of pubs, bars and nightclubs suitable for anyone. The difficult part is finding a compromise between partying and waking up early for work the next day!

During my placement there were many opportunities to take part in activities outside of the day to day work. I attended 2 'Away Days' where our team would visit a conference in a different city for the day to learn more about different areas within Risk/Fraud. As well as this I was involved in 2 major charity events with many other placement students raising >£2000 as a group over the whole year. There were many other learning and development opportunities such as taking part in behavioural experiments, and shadowing other colleagues from other areas of the bank.