“I turned my teenage hobbies into a promising career.”

What makes you, you

“You could say that I was not a typical teenager. I never really went out much or played sports. That was primarily because I have a disability — I have a visual impairment. Sometimes I didn’t join in because I lacked the confidence, but it was also that many typical teenage activities didn’t interest me. I found much more enjoyment in video games.”

Uncovering interests

“As I grew older, I started wanting to understand how video games worked. I wanted to understand what was making all this happen, how these images show up on the screen. When I got my first laptop I started tinkering around, beginning to understand how the computer itself worked. It became an exercise in problem solving, trying to figure out why certain programmes worked, and why certain ones didn’t.”

From hobby to career

“I eventually began to learn coding, more about software and hardware, and at the same time, more about personal finances. This unique mix of interests are what ultimately led to me becoming a Technology Engineering Apprentice with Lloyds Banking Group.”

In the family

“My mum’s first role was at Lloyds Banking Group as well, actually. She spoke quite highly of it, especially the culture, and told me how much she enjoyed her time there. By having that first-hand experience, I became really excited about the opportunity. There was no reason why I wouldn’t join.”

Something more

“I feel like I'm working towards something bigger than myself, something bigger than just numbers. What we do contributes to the wider value of the business, to our communities and to my personal growth. We’ve got loads of internal learning opportunities, and we’re encouraged to take them.”

The future of banking

“This is a company that I'm invested in. I really enjoy working here — I want the Group to succeed, and I want to progress within the business as well. I can perfectly visualise a future where we’ve created the best banking app on the market. I feel like there are a lot of changes happening, and I want to contribute to those changes as we make for a better customer experience.”

Be your authentic self

“My advice? Be yourself. It doesn’t matter if you're a little bit shy, there's nothing wrong with that, try and be as confident as possible. Use who you are to your advantage. I'm a little bit quieter than a lot of other people, but I have a lot of great ideas. And I’ve found my way to express them.”