Internship Review at HSBC Global Businesses

The Role

Role Description

Huge variety of daily duties ranging from sitting in on conference calls and taking notes to helping senior members of the business create pitches for presentations. There was also an individual task which was to create a pitch for an imaginary M&A transaction we had identified. This was a fantastic way of learning exactly what goes into the job and also a great way of improving my knowledge about finance (especially as I don't come from a finance background) as everyone was very willing to help out when I had questions.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Really fascinating insight into the world of banking, helped by the fact that I was in a great team of people more than willing to take some time off to show me the ropes.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My contributions were always recognised and they would take me out for coffee and drinks whenever time allowed!

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Was given regular feedback regarding my performance and management was always very approachable when I had issues to raise.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

It's investment banking so I expected long hours and lots of work but was still shocked by quite how long they were and the number of weekend I had to come in!

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Was working on live deals and pitches and creating the slides which were actually used in the presentations.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

My degree subject is completely different but I think the general skills I picked up will be invaluable in my future life and career.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

Very hard-working environment so I think the atmosphere sometimes suffered accordingly. Not to say that everyone wasn't extremely friendly but with everyone focused on work and deadlines, there wasn't much time for fun.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Talks twice a week by senior members of the bank were one of the highlights of the internship - made for a pleasant break and were very informative.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The one week of training we had at the beginning was very useful and there were lots of events throughout the placement.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• Subsidised Canteen

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Got a job!

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As well as the events organised for us, we usually got together on the weekends to go out. We were a good batch of interns who all got on well.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

Not much time to socialise plus it's Canary Wharf so isn't exactly designed for students!

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

Some decent pubs and bars in the area.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 1/10

Not that I heard about but then again I was only there 10 weeks...

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Overall, I had a fantastic experience - far better than I was expecting and far better than that of friends of interned at other banks. Would highly recommend it!

Review 4/31 for HSBC Global Businesses

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