Infrastructure Projects Analyst Review

Throughout the internship I've been given varied, interesting work that has taken into account my development as well as the business needs of Lloyds. I've had the opportunity to work with a range of different colleagues on a series of projects, some technical, some around people management. Every piece of work I've been assigned has been enjoyable to work on, both in terms of content and the people I've worked with.

I felt very valued, the tasks I was set were always real tasks rather than busy-work, and I receieved the full support of many colleagues throughout the placement. I have received feedback which suggests that the work I have been doing will have a genuiene, valuable impact on a broad range of colleagues.

Very quickly into the placement I was being given tasks without much hand-holding, and this was hugely appreciated. Although I was usually left to work on projects myself, reaching out for help and clarification myself whenever I felt it necessary, I still felt supported by my team. I was given weekly and fornightly 1:1s to track my progress and I felt able to ask for help at all times, either via phonecall or face-to-face.

Workload varied week-to-week, the first week was quite slow and training focused, some of the later weeks when project deadlines loomed kept me much busier. I was never completely without work to do, nor was I ever overloaded with work to the extent that I had to work extra hours, but there were definitely busier moments, especially when several projects overlapped.

I feel as though I've been given about as much responsibility as you could expect to recieve as an intern - I've been responsible for important deliverables, and I have been expected to complete them, to deadline, to a high standard, sometimes with other colleagues relying on the work being completed to meet their own deadlines.

Largely the skills I've received won't be particularly helpful in my degree (my degree is very technical, and I've been working in a reasonably non-technical role), but I do think they will be incredibly useful for my career. I've learnt many transferrable skills, both in terms of using specific tools/software, and in terms of personal skills.

The office is a friendly, relaxed environment, but it is often quite quiet especially towards the end of the week, not helped by the fact that many of the people I've worked with are based in other offices around the UK. There are several other interns in the office (in different teams) so being able to eat lunch/socialise with them made the quiet days more enjoyable.

The internship took a little while to get going properly, with work starting to build up as the weeks progressed, but otherwise everything was very well organised. Other interns within Lloyds had a group of graduates who organised events, but this was not something that took place in my office. However, in terms of admin etc, the process was largely seamless. I was always kept up-to-date about the process and key dates.

During my first week, I completed lots of training, which was relevant to varying degrees. Although there wasn't much explicit training beyond this, I do think I have developed considerably through the placement, largely thanks to the responsibility I've been given and the support I've had from my colleagues/managers throughout.

I am hopeful of receiving a referral to the graduate scheme, and if I am successful in doing so, I'll be eager to accept the offer. The culture of Lloyds is very appealing, as is the structure of the graduate scheme (which allows you to do a series of placements before deciding where to settle). There is also the option to move around internally within the company more than most organisations.

It varied largely between interns, some were eager to socialise, others not at all. There is the opportunity to socialise with Lloyds interns you live with, or those you work with, but I found my interactions with other interns limited mostly to within the office. Having said that, had I been eager to network with other interns/grads more, I'm sure I would've been able to.

London is, as is well known, an expensive place to live, but with Lloyds paying a good wage and paying for our accommodation, potential future interns shouldn't be put off by financial worries. It's possible to keep costs reasonably low if you want to, and the wage is adjusted to take into account the fact that you're working/travelling in London.

There's plenty of places to go for drinks, whether that's clubs/pubs/bars, but drinks are wildly expensive for those not used to London prices. That being said, for those with a real interest in clubbing/nightlife, London is arguably one of the best places in the country to be, there's a huge selection of venues.

Outside of work, Lloyds placed the interns/scholars into groups of around 10, who together raised funds for the Lloyds Charity of the Year (Children in Need). This allowed us to socialise as well as working towards fundraising for a good cause. Other than that, there was very little organised directly by Lloyds, but other interns often held events themselves.