Investor Relations Review

I really enjoyed my internship at Lloyds, as it gave me a very good insight into the financial sector of a bank. I was part of the investor relations team during the half year report where I learnt an incredible amount about banks in general. This was my first experience in an office, and whilst it was intense at times it was also highly beneficial. I also had the opportunity to spend two weeks with Group strategy and one week with Group Corporate Development. Both of these teams allowed me to gain insights into various areas within finance.

The colleagues across all three teams I worked for were very supportive. They were very welcoming and easy to talk to. The tasks I had completed for various members within the team were usually worthy - I hadn't been given work for the sake of it. This encouraged me to complete the tasks to my best ability.

My internship was very well structured which made getting support and guidance particularly easy. I had weekly catch up sessions with my manager where I received feedback, discussed my objectives and talked about anything on my mind. Other colleagues were also very supportive as I received plenty of advice on how I can improve.

My first week was very slow as there were IT issues which meant I didn't get my laptop until 4 days in. However, after the first week my workload was very good. I had enough work to keep me busy without getting stressed. On the week of results I had plenty of work to do - it was very intense and provided me a platform to understand how banks operate.

As mentioned earlier, I felt I was given a good level of responsibility. My workload consisted of work which contributed to the team, which meant I was engaged with the team at most times. Additionally, the responsibility given to me pushed me to complete tasks to the best standard of my capability.

I study Economics and Finance. Being a part of the Investor relations team has helped me to understand the relevance of financial terms I study at University. Additionally, I had a look at plenty of balance sheets and income statements which may give me a better understanding of what I learn in particularly accounting modules. I don't think this internship will help me with the Economics side of my degree. Whilst this internship gives me an idea of why we learn about certain things, I do not think it will make a difference to my results.

General atmosphere in my office was very relaxed. Everyone is very friendly and generally open for a chat if you wanted one. There is usually a very positive atmosphere in the office. During busy periods - such as half year reporting the office is more intense which is expected - however the team is still positive and friendly.

My first week at Lloyds wasn't the best as IT issues meant I spent the first few days clock watching and reading large documents. However the remaining 9 weeks were very well organised and I had many opportunities to gain insights into various teams. I didn't find myself with no work to do and generally had a very good workload.

I believe Lloyds have done a good job in terms of investing in interns. Outside of my team there were various activities such as Team charity challenge, Finance Team challenge, excel workshops and plenty of L&Ls. Providing free accommodation shows a great level of investment. I think a socialising event for the Lloyds interns would have been beneficial as it would have allowed us to interact with others in the same shoes.

The culture at Lloyds was very welcoming for an intern like me. Future employment prospects at Lloyds look very appealing and having spoken to a number of graduates; their graduate scheme looks very appealing. I will certainly be aiming to get into the graduate scheme at Lloyds after my final year at University.

I know numerous other interns had a great social scene. However I feel Lloyds didn't do enough to help interns socialise. Additionally there were two different blocks where interns were staying. Majority of the interns were in one building whilst three of us were in another which was 20minutes away. This made it harder to socialise.

London is costly to live in. Living costs were high. However as Lloyds provided accommodation we didn't have to pay for rent. This meant our wages was only going towards living costs. Additionally, we got paid a good weekly wage which meant that we could keep up with living costs.

Nightlife in London is very good, there are plenty of pubs and clubs to go to if you want. Although, they may be costly. Transport in London is very good which made travelling within the area very easy. However for some interns who had to commute, having a nightlife was quite hard.

There were limited opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. Lloyds can do more to make sure interns are positive out of office hours through social events or sports day etc. The Excel workshop provided by graduates was helpful - but more could have been done to improve social aspect of the internship.