Developer Review

I work in IT within the bank - specifically in a payments team. On a day to day basis I work with coding languages such as Java and also with other tools such as MQ and Drools. The team I work with helps with processing payments and ensuring that payments are made quickly and correctly. We also run a significant number of different tests on our code before putting it live.

Throughout the course of my apprenticeship, I have both learnt many new skills and have also developed many existing skills. Some of the news skills I have leant whilst on the job, such as Drools and Apache Camel whilst others I have learnt from apprenticeship courses such as Java and SQL. I have developed my soft skills further.

This question is a hard one to answer as there are parts which I really enjoy whilst there are other part which I do not enjoy quite so much. The courses seem a little rushed which makes it a little hard to learn everything necessary for the course. In addition to this, the facilitor seems a little too busy to be able to provide any personal support. I have enjoyed being a part of the programme as it has allowed me to meet new people and to learn new things.

I feel very valued by Lloyds bank as they really do try to fit the apprentices in to teams and to make them feel appreciated and part of the wider picture. In addition to this, they ran a weeks training for us to get us up to speed with the bank - their policies, what we needed to know about the company as a whole and also what we would be doing during our time there.

The apprenticeship programme was not organised very well as it was not explained to us very well what was going on as it was very slow to get going. We were employed in January but did not actually start our apprenticeship until the end of October. When it did start, I feel that the courses are a little too fast paced and others a little too basic. The team I work in help me as much as possible - giving me projects which align to the apprenticeship goals and also attending the meetings where necessary.

When on the courses we receive a decent amount of support - if we have questions when we are learning, we are free to voice them and the tutor will answer as best as possible. In addition to this, they are always around after the lessons have finished and during breaks to provide help. In terms of the facilitator, I feel he has too many apprentices which in turn means that he cannot provide us all the help we need. He is unable to answer questions about projects and general queries quickly and does not really have enough time to help with the projects we produce.

My employer - especially my line manager and development manager are very supportive, they help me wherever they possibly can. In addition to this, I have a few mentors who are all very kind and helpful when I need them to be. For the first few months, I would have regular meetings with my mentor to help me settle in to working life in the bank. Everyone on my team is willing to help me out with things, whether it be general queries, STP queries, help with my project or help with coding - they all have a very open attitude to learning and will make time for me.

The location of my office near London Bridge is very good - nearby to stations, food outlets, shops and even a market which is nice. The costs here are quite high, however the bank make up for this by paying inner London waiting allowance. The cost of travel does not affect the quality of the pay as we get enough to pay for travel and still have enough left over for daily costs and social outings. With the job at the bank, we have to opportunity of travelling to places for events and also to visit other teams in other locations.

There are many opportunities to be involved with things both inside and outside of work, for example, opportunities to go to away days (we had one in Edinburgh last year to visit the rest of the payments team and also for a charity football match) and for other events such as a Helping Britain Prosper event in Birmingham. There are also many other activities which the bank run - mainly to raise money for their charity of the year (Mental Health UK) such as a quiz night, drinks for St Patricks Day and other events such as a Christmas karaoke night. Within the bank you are given 2 days to volunteer for a charity of your choice doing anything you like.

Yes

Overall, Lloyds bank is a great place to work, the salary is decent with the opportunity of bonuses and pay rises added on. Lloyds bank also pay into a good pension with your help and also give you great benefits such as a car scheme, extra annual leave and also cash lump sum at Christmas. In addition to this, the atmosphere is great - people are encouraged to help each other and work as a team. They offer many different opportunities to you no matter what your level of expertise or experience. It is a perfect place to start off your career as they have a huge range of apprenticeships and grad schemes to help you build knowledge and experience in the work place.

Just be you - don't try to be the person you think they want you to be as individuality is appreciated and widely accepted at Lloyds bank.