Intern Review

by HSBC

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.9/5
  • About You
    5.0
  • The Company
    4.8
  • Everything Else
    5.0

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • The HSBC Spring Week taught me the different divisions in banking and markets (e.g. structuring), as well as giving us an insight of the culture and values of the firm. It also allows me to make many friends and connections who share the same interests and overall was very well organised.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • I feel that HSBC really spent a lot of time preparing for our Spring Week. Firstly the structure of the Spring Week was very well arranged, with a perfect balance between learning and interactive sessions. Every person who came to talk to us were extremely helpful, patient and friendly, and the HR made sure that everything goes well for us Spring Interns.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • We received a lot of guidance for the week. However, I believe sometimes it is also good to have the Spring Interns 'have a go' by themselves and discussed in groups, which is exactly what HSBC have done. This allowed us to think on our feet and apply our knowledge more, rather than just listening and completing the task by following instructions. However, I do feel that some of the sessions were a little rushed, and not everyone knew what was going on depending on their technical knowledge.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I learnt about all the different divisions in banking and markets. I went on a tour of the trading floor and I learnt about different valuation models in banking. Apart from technical knowledge, the most important skills I believe I developed was speaking and communication skills, as well as the ability to listen to feedback and improve.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • Perfectly structured. In the timeframe that we had (4 days), squeezing everything seemed impossible but HSBC seemed to be able to give us an insight to everything, and we feel that we did not miss out. However, I would prefer it to be 5 days long, so some of the sessions do not feel too rushed.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • Everyone was extremely friendly, ranging from my Spring Intern colleague to the MDs. No one was overly competitive and only a few were extremely keen to the point that they seem pretentious. The general atmosphere was friendly, collaborative and enthusiastic, and this allowed me to make many new friends and connections

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • HSBC really took time to invest in us, and this really showed in the way they organised the day, making sure we are improving and learning, as well as building good rapport with others. I believe that if I receive the summer internship I will be able to learn much more and improve very quickly in this fast-paced yet friendly environment

    5/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • Although there was a person from practically every division of the firm, it is still quite hard to fully understand what they do each day given a lack of strong financial knowledge. However, they definitely put a lot of effort into this and we can tell that everyone there was very honest.

    4/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • The company culture really comes through as being super friendly, collaborative, fun and enthusiastic. Everyone had a smile on their faces and no one seems to be bored of work or coming to HSBC. There also does not seem to be a strong sense of hierarchy and the MDs talk very casually with the analysts and associates.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • I did not know which divisions I want to go into yet. However after the Spring Week I decided I wanted to do trading, as it was more analytical and hands-on experience. I will be able to interact with colleagues in teams as well as executing the trade myself. It is also a very fast-paced environment where I will be able to learn quickly from mistakes.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was paid very well given that it was only 4 days long. All the travel expenses were also reimbursed by HSBC, and in addition to that they also provide me accommodation given that I do not live in London. The accommodation was very nice and consists of everything you really need to work at HSBC.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • There were many opportunities to network with the senior employees as well as the juniors from every division. I also workshadowed and therefore had a chance to network with the person I shadowed a lot. However, my perference was QA and did not find many QA people to talk to, but that was the only downside.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • Again, the events were friendly and nice. People there really took time to explain to us about their roles and experiences, and we had time to build a rapport with them. In terms of usefulness, it gives us an insight on how they really feel to work in the division.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • Not too much. We only heard that there is a big gym and sporting activities, but nothing too specific. I believe HSBC did not have time to put this together due to the Spring week being only 4 days long. However, we did get a gist of it and given how they are so friendly and seem to know each other well, I assume there are a lot of activities that they can get involved.

    5/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • Definitely. I would say even if you are not very interested in banking, still take your time to apply to Spring Weeks as it really shows you what it is really like, and you will learn a lot more about different divisions in banking than you already know and this could easily change your mind.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

London

April 2018


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