I knew very little about banking and honestly, I got sucked into the application frenzy during my second year. I did know that HSBC was an international bank and I wanted to learn more about how businesses relate with each other across borders.
With that in mind, it quickly became clear that the HSBC Commercial Banking internship programme was the right fit for me. As someone with a multicultural background, I knew this would be seen as a strength in the bank. I also knew that HSBC invests in your professional and personal development.
Eight weeks flew by. I made connections with other interns and participated in the various socials the internship offered. I undertook a market research project as part of the Small Business Banking team and this provided me with a great foundation in how high street and challenger banks in this country operate. I also had numerous networking opportunities. The people I met were one of the best parts of the internship.
As an intern, and now a graduate, my successes relate to the positions I held within the early careers community. During the internship, I secured a role as an Intern Social Lead. I, and four other leads, were in charge of encouraging cohesion amongst the group and organising the socials in an innovative manner. As a graduate, I’m similarly proud of the work I do planning the incoming graduate inductions.
I would say the biggest challenge has been maintaining networks. I have been fortunate to meet several interesting, brilliant people throughout my time. But it has been difficult maintaining relationships as work and different locations can keep us busy and apart.
I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to share laughs and have fun with my colleagues. The people I have interacted with have been open minded, kind and approachable. I also enjoy the benefits of hybrid working.
As an intern, I was especially involved with the Balance ERG (Employee Resource Group), being passionate about gender equality myself. I frequently attended their webinars and subscribed to their newsletters. Additionally, I undertook a fundraising challenge entitled GROW where my teammates and I collectively walked the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for charity during our time on the internship.
