Start Your Journey Employability Event Review

The event provided opportunities to develop different skills with peers rather than purely focusing on Lloyds Banking Group or banking. The presentations and group activities were very interactive and engaging. An example of a group activity I did was a task on developing effective communication by working as a team to re-write an ineffective email so that it is more easily understood. A presentation covered the TOSCA framework to solving problems and agile team working.

I developed my problem solving and creativity skills as one activity we were required to do was designing a box of chocolates to cater to a specific demographic by considering the actual chocolates and the packaging. We worked as a team to brainstorm ideas and this also allowed me to develop my leadership skills. We then presented out ideas to the rest of the group. Another task involved researching the banking sector and presenting our views on a problem based on our findings and this developed our research and data analysis skills.

It was interesting to find out how key the value of "Helping Britain Prosper" is to Lloyds, especially as this is difficult to find out from their website so this event really provided an insight into Lloyds' culture that would be difficult to find elsewhere. We were also provided clear visualisations of how the business is structured and the different parts that make up the firm's strategy and culture, such as changing operations, focusing on existing business and trust. It was good to see the various roles available at Lloyds.

It was very friendly and engaging but still professional. While we worked on group tasks, staff would circulate between groups to see how we were doing and provide guidance and this was very helpful and ensured we stayed on track for the task. Lloyds culture and values included trust, inclusivity, putting people first and being innovative and I think these values were really demonstrated when we learned about Lloyds as a firm and their approach to responsible business, such as its involvement in charitable foundations and responsible transformation.

I found the insight very enjoyable as there was a good mix between listening to presentations and then working in teams to complete tasks that were related to skills mentioned in the presentations. The presentations were also interactive as we were able to ask questions. The tasks were also engaging to complete and it was good to see what other teams came up with when we all presented our ideas back to the whole group. The slides during the presentations were also clear and well-organised.

Yes

Attend their events such as the Start Your Journey Employability Event as this will give a good overview of the firm and its culture. I would also actively engage during such events to make the most of the opportunity and interact with peers during the event to build a network. Lloyds also provided information on how to practise for job assessments such as websites with practice assessments so I would look through those before applying.