Work Experience Role Review

Work experience involved seminars and workshops based on the different roles that exist HSBC. Roles included commercial banking and wealth and personal banking, for example. Employees at HSBC would deliver presentations for each sector of the company and respond to questions asked by students as well as provide insight into what their work usually entails and how they carry it out.

From the work experience, I developed essential skills which fell under both personal and employability skills from the workshops and live presentations delivered by the employees. I learnt how significant personal branding is and that a growth mind set, as well as innovative ideas when working on projects, is essential when working with a company such as HSBC.

I heavily enjoyed the work experience as we were able to work as a team through developing a project and presenting it to a panel. As we were able to apply the skills we had learnt, it was practical and interactive which met my expectations of the work experience.

The work experience was very organised. The programme structure was delivered as a timetable prior to it beginning, daily tasks were outlined clearly and sent by email by the experience leaders and any support required was responded to either via email that was provided during live events or during live events using a chat function.

The people delivering presentations during the work experience were all directly involved with the company and were from diverse sectors. This meant that I was able to gain a representative impression of the company culture and its values; I believe I could fit in as it became clear that there is a role for everyone that wishes to apply and the people were highly amicable.

The work experience gave me an amazing insight into the banking industry and various job roles that exist, such as with investment banking. I was able to see how each job functioned and the employee satisfaction with these roles so I now have a clearer idea of what I will follow as a future career path. Mentors were also offered during the experience.

The work experience was virtual due to Covid, meaning the location was remote so there were no travel costs.

There were opportunities to meet other employees through Q&As and panel events, however there were no meetings or networking events. I believe this is due to the nature of the work experience, which was remote due to Covid-19 and social distancing rules, therefore this did not impact my experience.

Yes

I would recommend HSBC to a friend as it is clear that they consider their employees with respect and dignity and have various values which align with my own, such as a focus on quality, sustainability, diversity and diversity. The work experience was also organised very well, which has positively influenced my perspective of the company as they also show care towards potential applicants.

I would advise others applying to HSBC's work experience programme to make sure they know the application structure and that applying is a commitment. For example, I practised by simulating an interview knowing that there would be a telephone interview and I took authorised time off of school to commit to the programme.