Intern Associate Relationship Manager Review

I have absolutely loved the internship with Lloyds Banking Group. Everybody has been incredibly welcoming and given me plenty to do. The work has been varied in type and difficulty. I have also been given multiple shadowing opportunities during my time with the bank. This has allowed me to understand the different roles that are available throughout the organisation.

I have felt very valued by my colleagues. They have always endeavoured to invite me along to both internal and client meetings, even if it has been outwith the scope of my position. Additionally, they have taken me out for coffees/lunches and made me feel generally welcome and very much part of the team. This goes for my immediate team as well as colleagues in other teams around the bank who I have interacted with.

I have been fortunate enough to have not only a senior line manager but then to have 2 managers directly looking after me on his behalf. This means I had 3 people overseeing my time at the bank ensuring that I was kept busy and never stuck. They have made sure I have spent time with multiple teams throughout the department and so my work has often been varied.

During the working hours of 9-5 I was kept busy. I always had tasked to complete. For me however, I would have liked a faster-paced work schedule with a lot of work on that would make me have to work into the evening to meet deadlines. This was lacking in this placement but I appreciate that for a lot of people this would be a positive thing.

I was delegated tasks that often involved approval from other parts of the bank. At no point did I feel that what I was doing could have the potential to damage the bank's reputation/profits which I felt was a good thing for an intern. I was trusted to complete the tasks I was given myself and I did feel like what I was doing was making a genuine positive difference to the bank.

The skills I have learned will not necessarily assist my degree (with the exception of maybe some excel proficiency). But for my future career this placement has been invaluable. I have seen a variety of different approaches to doing business with clients and I have learned a great deal in terms of how to get the most from a team of people in a positive way.

It was a fun and friendly atmosphere where everybody was interested in each other's lives outside work as well as within the business. Internal meetings always began with a general chat to check in on everybody and make sure that there were no burning issues. Office sweepstakes and other charity events kept the mood light and fun during the working day.

The whole thing was well organised. There was an induction event that introduced all the interns to the Group as well as each other. Outside of working in the bank we were sorted into teams of 10 and challenged to raise as much money as possible. Other networking and social events were also organised by the bank for interns.

I could not fault the Group on their commitment to allow me to get as much out of the internship as possible. I was flown down to London to allow me to shadow teams down there for a few days due to the fact I had expressed interest in pursuing a career with them. Additionally, coffee meetings and shadowing was organised for me to enable to gain as much exposure to the bank as possible. I was given mandatory then optional training to allow me to develop my skills as far as I wanted.

The employment prospects are very appealing. Due to the sheer size of the Group, there is a huge variety of opportunities available. It is actively encouraged within the firm to have internal meetings to find out about other teams and processes in totally different areas from your place of work. The only downside is the pay is not quite as good compared to the large American Banks, but the hours are far less.

Very good and varied. The group of interns I was with were constantly organising nights out and days to the beach or lunch breaks on the weekends. We organised pub quizzes and ceilidhs for each other and took full advantage of the Edinburgh Festival together. During work hours people were always keen to grab a coffee or lunch with each other or even let fellow interns shadow them to gain more insight in to the business.

Edinburgh is relatively expensive compared with the rest of Scotland but is cheap compared with the likes of London. If you can take advantage of student nights at pubs and clubs you can easily have a good night out for less than £20. The Festival during August can be a little pricey but there are bargains to be had if you know where to look.

Edinburgh nightlife is plentiful and varied. There are a number of nightclubs that range in price and music as well as numerous pubs and bars throughout the city. The city is also host one of the world's biggest arts festivals which means that throughout August there are thousands of comedians, plays and musical performances all over the city. A number of eclectic pop-up bars also spring up during the summer.

Due to the Charity Challenge part of the internship, out-of-work activities were encouraged and work time was often used to organise various events and activities. Additionally, in a 10 week internship we were afforded 5 days holiday so there was plenty of scope for doing a number of things beyond work.