If you’re researching the Lloyds Graduate Scheme, Ellie’s real diary from three weeks into her Lloyds Banking Group internship is a good place to start — before you get into the numbers below, here’s what it’s actually like.
Ellie’s diary below is from an earlier internship cohort, but the day-to-day experience and structure of the scheme haven’t changed much — for 2026-specific numbers, skip to the sections below.
Lloyds intern diary
My name is Ellie and I am currently 3 weeks into my internship at Lloyds Banking Group as part of the HR Group Operations and Group Executive Functions (GOGEF) team. I am hoping to give you an insight into what it’s like to be part of the internship scheme at Lloyds and share with you some of the projects I was involved in which may give you a bit of a better idea of what it is like to be doing an internship at LBG.
I am a recent graduate from the University of Bristol where I received a 2.1 in Geography (my results came out during my third day of work – scary day!). I applied to Lloyds with little background of working in the city, instead spending my previous summer travelling/volunteering in Thailand and my first year summer working in Seattle as a riding instructor. Upon finishing university I decided it was time to find a new direction to my future career aspects rather than the spontaneous, and rather random, 3 month work trips I was growing accustomed to. The internship was ideal as the ten week programme would enable me to figure out my strengths and weaknesses to see if I was a good fit for LBG and ultimately, if LBG was the right fit for me.
Why Lloyds?
Despite sounding cliché and idealistic, Lloyds really was the best fit for me in terms of their values, culture, commitment to helping the wider community and overall vision. I can’t stress how important it is to actually read up about the organisations and corporations that open their floodgates at the beginning of September offering an affray of internships and graduate schemes to students. Whatever career path you are looking into it is important to look beyond the attraction of a well-known name. I can honestly say I found what I was looking for with Lloyds and it turned out to be the only internship scheme I applied for. I was therefore extremely pleased to receive a place on the internship scheme.
Week 1:
Kicking off my first week by being invited to the cricket at the Oval couldn’t have introduced me to the team better. Having only briefly met my team I was surprised by how included I felt and how welcome everyone was. Regardless of your job role or position, the team enjoyed the evening as a group of good friends. Meeting everyone in the office early on really helped over the next few weeks.
Week 2:
The last week has been busy with a variety of different and stimulating projects. A highlight has been starting organisation for the 2016 graduate filming campaign to attract new talent for Group Ops and Group IT. Given the responsibility of booking venues, contacting and coordinating graduates, the film crew and TMP interviews, I was surprised by how involved I was able to be with such a current and exciting project. Another positive was the pub quiz organised by our intern team as we begin our journey to raising as much money as we can over the summer for Children In Need. Despite a haphazard approach, last minute planning and a broken microphone which deafened half the room it went surprisingly well. We managed to raise ВЈ150 for charity which just proves events like these are so worth doing. It also gave the team a chance to meet more interns, grads and colleagues from across the bank. These networking opportunities are invaluable – you learn so much by meeting a vast array of people who can all play a part in shaping the right future career path for you.
Week 3:
Being a key part of the 2016 filming for the graduate campaign was a fantastic project to become involved with. I was able to watch the interviews unfold, and despite a few last minute cancellations, the filming was a great success and proved a valuable experience for me to hear more about the graduate’s journeys first hand. An unexpected surprise came at the end when I was asked to get an intern’s perspective on my time so far at LBG on camera. Despite the fact that I had only been here a few weeks, my own insight and contribution was greatly appreciated. It was a fantastic experience not only to be behind organising the day but also be a part of it. In terms of my last weeks at Lloyds Banking Group, a project I am keen to get on board with is supporting the delivery of a Transformation.
What makes my role in HR perfectly suited to what I want out of the summer is it allows me to switch between different divisions across the bank, developing a vast array of skills, whilst enabling me to understand how LBG functions as a Group. It also gives me exposure to areas where I have little or no knowledge whilst finding out what the strengths are of different teams.
How to Apply for Lloyds Graduate Scheme
- Apply Online — a short form (no CV or cover letter needed) plus a roughly 60-minute online assessment covering audio, written and scenario-based questions.
- Job Insight Assessment — scenario questions, a recorded video response, and data to analyse.
- Assessment Centre — a one-to-one interview, group exercise and individual tasks, held virtually or in person depending on the scheme.
Applying for a Data Science & AI, Data Management, or Technology Engineering scheme? Step 1 swaps the general assessment for a timed coding and technical task instead.
As Lloyds Banking Group puts it on its own careers site: “Our biggest tip to help you through the process? Just be yourself. We’re not interested in perfectly performed answers.”
Source: Lloyds Banking Group Talent, “Graduates – Application Process”
Salary & Benefits
| Scheme | Salary |
| Technology Engineering Graduate Scheme | £42,000 |
| Other graduate schemes (average) | £31,320 (range £26,482–£37,914) |
Graduates also receive a one-off £5,000 joining payment plus benefits including private medical insurance, a dental plan and pension contributions. See what your offer looks like after tax with Debut’s Paycheck Calculator.
Lloyds Graduate Scheme programme structure
Lloyds Banking Group’s graduate schemes currently run across 10 tracks: Accounting & Business Insights, Business and Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking and Markets, Cyber Security Engineer, Data Science and AI, Occupational Psychology, People Science, Product and Partnerships, Risk, and Software Engineer (the scheme formerly branded Technology Engineering). A Commercial and Wealth Relationship Management scheme is listed as “coming soon” for a future intake. (Source: Lloyds Banking Group Talent, Graduates)
Locations
Lloyds Banking Group hires graduates across eight main UK hubs: Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Edinburgh, Halifax, Leeds, London and Manchester, with hybrid working built into most roles — office-based colleagues typically spend at least 40% of their time on-site. (Source: Lloyds Banking Group Talent, Locations)
How Lloyds compares
Weighing Lloyds against other banking employers? Compare structure and salary with Barclays, J.P. Morgan, HSBC or Goldman Sachs — or browse the full list on our Graduate Scheme hub. Run any offer through Debut’s Paycheck Calculator to see it after tax.
Benefits
Beyond the £5,000 joining payment, graduates get company-funded private medical cover (with the option to add family members, critical illness cover or life insurance for a small fee), free access to Headspace, a generous holiday allowance with the option to buy or sell a week’s leave, and enrolment from day one into a Defined Contribution pension — Lloyds matches up to 15% when you contribute 6% or more. There’s also Sharematch, which adds up to £45/month in matching shares, plus staff discounts across electricals, cinema tickets, groceries and Lloyds’ own financial products. (Source: Lloyds Banking Group Talent, Rewards & benefits)
Application Deadlines 2026
Schemes typically open in September for the following year’s intake. Some, like Business and Commercial Banking, can close as early as November — and Lloyds may close any scheme early if it gets a high volume of applications. The safest approach is applying as soon as your chosen scheme opens, not waiting for the published deadline.
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What is the Lloyds graduate scheme salary?
Most schemes average £31,320 (range £26,482–£37,914), with the Software Engineer (formerly Technology Engineering) scheme paying £42,000. All graduates also get a £5,000 joining payment.
How many Lloyds graduate schemes are there?
Ten live tracks, from Data Science and AI to Risk to Occupational Psychology, plus a Commercial and Wealth Relationship Management scheme coming soon.
Does Lloyds offer roles outside London?
Yes — hubs include Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Edinburgh, Halifax, Leeds and Manchester alongside London, most with hybrid working.
Do I need a specific degree to apply?
No — Lloyds recruits across all degree disciplines; only the technical schemes (Data Science & AI, Data Management, Software Engineer) require a coding/technical assessment at step one.
How long does the Lloyds application process take?
Three stages — online application and assessment, a Job Insight Assessment, then an Assessment Centre — timing varies by scheme and intake volume.
Is there a fixed deadline?
No single deadline — some schemes like Business and Commercial Banking can close as early as November, and any scheme may close early if it fills, so apply as soon as it opens.
