Summer Commercial Banking Internship Review

I somewhat enjoyed my placement at Lloyd's. It was not my first banking internship so it did not teach me much new stuff that I had not already knew before but nevertheless, it was an excellent opportunity to brush up on old skills and this gave me the further opportunity to engage in more complex and higher-level tasks.

I did feel quite valued by my colleagues as I was on a similar level of knowledge as some of them which meant I was able to help and assist them with their tasks, and they were also able to help and assist me. I also felt valued in group projects that we did.

I was given quite a bit of support to help remind me of many concepts that I had previously learnt but the main support came in when I was allowed to do higher-level tasks and they helped me with this. Furthermore, it was helpful that they provided me with guidance to the different sectors of the bank.

I was quite busy on a daily basis as I was engaged in more higher-level tasks so I had about a similar workload to perhaps a junior apprenticeship scheme. This was never too much, however, as I always had people to help me and it helped me to feel like a contributing part of the workforce.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement as I felt like I was trusted a lot as they knew I was comfortable with the knowledge required for the job so they could push me to do the higher-level tasks almost immediately so I definitely did have a lot of responsibility.

I definitely think that the experience gained during the job will help me after I finish my degree as the tasks and projects I completed while I was there prove me to be a competent worker and have helped me to grow into a valuable member of a banking workforce, I feel.

Generally, I feel like the office was quite lively and people were not so serious. This was quite refreshing as it allowed me to chill at times. It was particularly chill when talking to clients and other customers in order to make them feel comfortable, providing a nice contrast to the more corporate and serious side of business.

I think the work placement was ser up quite well as they were able to match my jobs to the level of competency that I was working at and they were able to slowly amp up the difficulty as I garnered more experience, which I respected a lot from them as it showed they trusted me.

I think that the company did invest quite a lot in me. Although they did not teach me much new stuff, they gave me a chance to apply myself and push my skills to the next level, allowing me to work with their clients and really prove myself as a competent worker.

Normally, I do not think that internships are enough to make you stand out in the banking sector but this really allowed me to push myself to new heights and allowed me to prove myself as a worker, which will definitely be appealing to future employers, or at least I would hope so.

There was quite a good social scene amongst me and the other students on placements and even some colleagues. This mainly came from working together on projects and finding out that we actually got on well, even outside of the world of work. It was nice to find people with common interests as you that you could also learn from to be a better worker.

Of course, there are a variety of Lloyds locations across the UK so these factors would depend on where you would be working. Personally, I got a job in a location that was quite close to where I was living so I did not have to move out. The costs would have been great if I did move out, however. There were also many good socialising opportunities.

Again, this is specific to the area in which I worked but there was quite a lot of nightlife, as would be expected in London. It was nice to go to such places after a long day at work with other placement students and even colleagues sometimes. The students and colleagues always seemed up for it.

There were quite a few opportunities to get involved in outside of work. As well as the socialising opportunities that took place with other placement students and colleagues, I received opportunities to meet with big players from major companies and I feel like this was a chance to increase my employment prospects after I finish university.