Software Developer
Sam is a Software Developer at Lloyds Banking Group
I help build software from start to finish; planning, coding, testing and fixing any bugs that pop up. Right now, I create software tools that help staff at Lloyds Banking Group support their customers more easily. I recently made a user-friendly system for bank staff to more easily manage customers’ cash deposits and withdrawals. It made their jobs simpler and customers happier!
The best thing about my job is solving problems. I love taking complex issues and breaking them down into smaller parts to find solutions. In coding, we call this ‘computational thinking’ – creating steps a computer can understand and solve. It’s satisfying to see how big challenges can become small, achievable tasks. This way of thinking even helps me tackle problems outside work too!
Communication and collaboration are important in my role. Good communication means clearly explaining what you need or don’t understand. Even with experience, there’s always more to learn, and asking teammates for help is essential. Problem-solving is important too, identifying issues and fixing them quickly, making sure our software is easy to use and reliable. Attention to detail also matters a lot, as even small errors in the code can cause big problems later on.
My favourite tool at the moment is an AI coding assistant. It’s a very useful tool which can quickly explain coding concepts and help me write better code. Though knowing when to trust AI and when to ignore it is important too - it’s great when it works well, saving me hours of time, but I review its suggestions carefully to make sure they’re accurate. AI is helpful but not perfect!
I still love gaming, especially on my Nintendo Switch, it’s a great way to relax. If I’m feeling overwhelmed, I enjoy going for walks in a park near my home. I also spend time learning things on YouTube, I watch videos on how video games are coded or why glitches happen. Understanding how things work has always interested me.
This has to be when I create software that’s used by Lloyds, like when a program I wrote went live. It checked whether cash machines were correctly linked to user accounts, alerting staff if something wasn’t right. It felt amazing to know something I built was helping people and solving problems at work.
Many people think software development is purely technical, but a large part of my job is making software easy-to-use and understandable. It surprised me how much of my job is focused on designing clear, practical and user-friendly tools, as well as technical coding.
Be confident, and don't be afraid to speak up. Your skills and ideas matter, and people want to hear what you think. It’s okay to ask for help and communicate openly. Building your confidence to talk to new people and express yourself clearly will really help you in your career.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
