“There is no right or wrong journey.”
Kiera’s background in psychology is helping her understand what motivates customers as she strives for more. Kiera is now a business analysis apprentice.
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.”
“I’m so happy with my role right now.”
Imagine what’s next for you, and the future of financial services, at Lloyds Banking Group. Visit lloydsbankinggrouptalent.com