Why LHV? A long-term client relationship led to a dream come true

LHV’s internship program offers young people the chance to be involved in real projects and team work, not just watch from the sidelines. Interest in the program has grown year by year: 750 young people applied in 2022, while in 2025, the number had already reached nearly 1,700. This is the final story in our summer blog series, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the daily life of one intern at LHV.

From LHV client to the heart of the bank

This summer, Romi Ly Soo graduated from the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences with a degree in business management and marketing, and in the autumn, she will continue her studies at TalTech in the marketing and management program, specialising in service design. Spring was the perfect time to look for an internship – she already had experience in start-ups but was craving more structure and responsibility. ‘Having been an LHV client for years, I had experienced firsthand how smoothly everything works. I wanted to know how it all functions behind the scenes. When a client communication internship opened in the Segment and Sales Management team, I knew this was my chance,’ she describes.

Serious work, genuine team

During her internship, Romi Ly quickly realised that client-centricity at LHV is not just a slogan. ‘I was surprised at how thoroughly every client message and notification is reviewed to ensure the information is both clear and relevant. It often means tailoring the message for different target groups, so each client feels like the message was written specifically for them,’ she shares. Over the summer, she and her mentor co-created several bank notifications and mobile app messages. Romi Ly also contributed to communications for the Youth Bank and the Bolt campaign, which were seen across social media and outdoor advertising.

But beyond the actual work, team atmosphere played a big role. ‘I was welcomed with real sincerity. Our team has a tradition of eating lunch together every day and we do not talk about work during those moments. It brings people closer,’ she recalls.

She was also surprised by how open-minded people are across the bank. ‘I expressed interest in shadowing other teams and the opportunity was gladly given. I got to be involved in employer branding, communications, and the Youth Bank marketing. It gave me a clear picture of how different departments at LHV work together. Even communicating with bank leadership was easy: you could casually message the Chairman of the Management Board of LHV Group, Mihkel, via Slack,’ she remembers.

How to get the most out of your internship

In just three months at LHV, Romi Ly broadened her horizons and gained more confidence than during the entire previous academic year. ‘At LHV, an internship is not just observing from the sidelines – you are truly part of the team. My opinion was sought and valued, which made me feel like I was genuinely giving something back to LHV,’ she says.

She shares two practical tips for future interns.

• Be yourself. ‘In the group interview, I was worried that my communication background was not strong enough. But what mattered most was that I stayed true to myself: I did not pretend to have skills I did not have.’
• Take the chance to shadow other teams. ‘It really broadens your perspective and gives you a real sense of how the bank operates as a whole.’

The internship made Romi Ly even more certain that communication is the right path for her. ‘I am not motivated by having my name under a text. The greatest joy is when a client reads something and feels it is well-written, without knowing I was the one who wrote it.’ Over the three months, she developed skills she had not focused on much before. ‘At first it was a challenge, but soon I felt I had developed a strong intuition and sensitivity,’ she says. The internship taught her the importance of continuous learning and expanding her outlook, and confirmed that bold initiative can take you far.

Romi Ly’s story is a great example of how an LHV internship can offer more than a whole academic year: new skills, valuable contacts, and a clearer direction for the future. With this, we wrap up this year’s series on our interns, but new opportunities await next summer!