Saad is studying mathematics at Queen Mary University of London and has recently been accepted into the Finance Summer Internship programme at Lloyds Banking Group. Saad gives some insight into Lloyd's application process and how our members can follow in his footsteps.
Why did you choose Lloyds Banking Group?
I was interested in the diversity of the bank; the culture seemed very friendly and welcoming. I was fortunate to be able to talk with current employees over Linkedin to gain more insight about the firm. The opportunity to take part in the Mental Health UK charity challenge is a great initiative that appealed to me. In addition, I liked that the internship would enable me to network and shadow other teams. Helping Britain Prosper plan is something I agreed with and it gave me the final courage to apply.
What can I expect if I apply to Lloyds?
I applied to the Internship programme in January 2019. The first stage is submitting your application online. There is no need for a CV to be uploaded as everything is completed electronically. Your application will then be screened and, if you satisfy the minimum requirements, you’ll be invited to complete psychometric tests within 5 working days. The tests comprise situational, judgmental, numerical and verbal reasoning. After completing the tests (within three working days), you will be given a feedback report discussing your strengths and your weaknesses. You get scored for each test and if you pass, you will then move on to the next and final stage which is the video interview. For my video interview, there were 10 questions in total and in between each question I had 30 seconds to prepare. If you pass this stage, the hiring manager will go over your application and see if you will be suited to the internship. Successful candidates will be given a phone call by the hiring manager where they will congratulate you and advice you on how to prepare for the internship. I recieved my offer on the 21st February 2019.
What three tips would you give to Bright Network members to follow in your footsteps?
1) Apply as early as possible. My application was submitted relatively late. The internship programme is very competitive so first come first serve rule is followed.
2) You need to show that you’re passionate about the company. Research the annual reports and keep note of the key information and performance summary. This is critical for passing the video interviews. The interview questions are challenging so studying up on essential knowledge beforehand will allow you to tailor the questions to produce suitable answers.
3) The psychometric tests are challenging and this is were many candidates are unable to pass. The key to passing such tests is to be true to yourself and answer the questions the way you would respond to a situation not what you may think is the right answer. These tests are not designed at all to catch you out. It just makes sure you fit well with the culture at Lloyds Banking Group and Lloyds Banking Group is the right place for you.
What was the toughest interview question you faced?
“Do you believe when simplifying complex problems the original meaning is lost?”
How did Bright Network help?
I saw the online job advert on Bright Network. I was interested in the detailed description on the page of the internship role. This had interested me further into looking at Lloyds Banking Group Talent website. The career advice was very useful especially for the psychometric testing and video interviews.
