“There is no right or wrong journey.”

Future-forward thinking

“I was always extremely interested in mental health. After doing psychology for my A-Levels, I knew I wanted to study the subject further at university. After I finished my degree, I realised that as much as I loved psychology, I just didn't think I loved it enough to make it my career. I wanted to be somewhere where I could progress and build a long-term career.”

Dreaming big

“I never thought I'd work at Lloyds Banking Group. I just didn't think it was for me, I didn’t see where my skills would fit in. After doing some research, I realised how much actually happens within the business, and what you can achieve. I thought ‘I'm just going to go for it’ because I know people tend to find long-term careers at Lloyds Banking Group.”

A family affair

“I knew people stick around at Lloyds Banking Group because of my sister. By the time I started my apprenticeship, she’d been working there for eight years. She started as an apprentice too, so I knew a little bit about how it worked. When I was looking into Business Analysis, I began to see just how many of my existing skills, like being a strong communicator and building good stakeholder relationships, were applicable to the role.”

Growing confidence

“When I look back to a year ago when I first started, I was not very confident at all. I think that's just natural when you're in a new job, and a new team, but initially the thought of approaching stakeholders in the business was so scary to me. They'd been in the company for so many more years than I had, so it was a little intimidating. I’ve received so much support from my team to overcome this, and now I can see how much I’ve grown since I joined. I’m very grateful.”

Developing skills

“I've done the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis during my apprenticeship, which isn't mandatory, but it helps with being a better Business Analyst. Passing it felt great, both for my job and for my self-development.”

Being an advocate

“I'm an apprentice ambassador too, I became one a couple months after I joined. I’m involved in a lot of different external and internal opportunities — like networking at events or getting involved in marketing campaigns and social media content. Recently, I had the opportunity to go back to my old high school and do a presentation about life as an apprentice at Lloyds Banking Group. At first I felt nervous, but I did it anyway. It was so outside of my comfort zone, but it was so worth it.”