HSBC Commercial Banking Summer Intern Review

I have enjoyed my internship with HSBC to a great extent, as I was able to explore two different areas of the sector. This gave me a great insight, considering the short time I was able to spent at HSBC. Both placements have allowed me to strengthen a variety of different skill sets, such as communication, customer service, analytical thinking, data processing, as well as accounting.

The moment I started my internship, I felt welcomed by my colleagues. I felt valued, respected and looked after. My colleagues tried to include me as much as possible and always had an open ear for my questions. They showed me everything I needed and I soon felt like I had always been part of the team.

Throughout my time at HSBC I never felt lost. There was always somebody there to give me guidance and support. My line managers were extremely organized and gave me tasks, which strengthened my skill sets and which gave me an insight into the team/job. They always had a minute to answer my questions and made sure that everything was going smoothly.

I always had a task that kept me busy. There were days where I was more occupied and days where I was less occupied. It depended on the tasks that I worked on and the area I worked in. Overall, there was a great balance between actual working time and time for questions with my line managers or colleagues, in order to understand the task given or the nature of the business, as well as the organization.

As my internship was divided between two placements, I was given more responsibility during one placement as opposed to the other. Although I was given less responsibility during one placement, this allowed me to strengthen my analytical skills. During the second placement I was given more responsibility, as I was providing customer service.

Some of the skills sets I was able to strengthen, such as my analytical skills and data processing, essentially put theory learnt at university into practice. Other skill sets, such as communication, customer service and problem solving are skills I was able to enhance, which will assist me throughout my life. Having developed them at HSBC has given me a different perspective on how to display these skills and how to use them most effectively.

Overall, the atmosphere was very pleasant. Everybody was friendly, welcoming and respectful. Everybody was willing to make time for professional or personal conversation. The team I worked in always found a way to make me laugh and smile, which brightened my day. This allowed me to get on with my colleagues on a professional and personal level.

Overall, the internship was very organized. During both placements I had clear objectives to work towards and tasks, which helped me learn throughout my placement and which helped me achieve the objectives set. Furthermore, I was given the opportunity to travel to another city, in order to meet other teams. This helped me get a better understanding of how the department worked.

HSBC invested in me to a great extent. Even before I became a summer intern at HSBC, I felt valued and respected, as there was always somebody I could contact from the recruitment team for questions. The great level of organization, guidance and support shows how much HSBC values their interns, as the best learning experience possible is provided.

There was a great social scene amongst fellow interns, and even graduates! After every volunteering event there was a chance to get together, get to know one another, and to learn what the other interns have been occupied with. After work events were also initiated by fellow interns, who would send invitations to everyone. Fellow colleagues were also welcoming by inviting interns to after work socials. Overall, there were many opportunities to socialize!

Yes! Multiple volunteering activities were planned, for us interns to get involved! This gave us the opportunity to network by getting to know the other interns better and to help a great cause! Furthermore, there were also volunteering activities, which required us to work in teams for an extended period of time. This proved to be a good opportunity to work together with the other interns and colleagues.