Summer 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

4.1/5
  • The Role
    4.7
  • The Company
    3.9
  • The Culture
    3.6

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I really enjoyed the internship. It has been a steep learning curve and a great working experience. Everyone is very friendly and helpful; they take time off to explain things to me. Not only did I learn the technical knowledge but also the differences between each role and each asset class. This I find is so invaluable because I would not be able to find such insights on the internet.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • Initially I put a lot of pressure on myself as I struggled to find how I can contribute to the team. Everyone in my team is so supportive and they gave me some tasks to do, explaining how my work could benefit the team. This does not only make me feel valued but also driven to do the work.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • Even though my manager is very busy, he would always find time for me or direct me to someone I can talk to. I never feel lost that I do not know who to approach. I also get the support from my buddy and people in my team. What I really appreciate is that my manager gave me advice for my career path in Finance beyond this internship.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • I do think there is a perfect balance of the work given. This means with time management, I can arrange some work-shadowing with other teams allowing me to broaden my understandings of the trading floor. Project was given in week 5 so the second half of the internship, all interns will be focusing a lot more on the final project but other day-to-day tasks should still be carried out as usual.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • Since interns on the trading floor cannot trade or talk to clients, there was limited amount of responsibility given to us. However, this also serves as a good opportunity to learn as you do not get too occupied by all the day-to-day work. Besides, being given responsibility, you can learn a lot about how traders make decisions, how sales talk to clients or manage relationships by sitting with them and observing what they do.

    3/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I am really grateful to have been in this internship as it provides me an insight I could never get elsewhere. I am more motivated to learn Python now as I have seen the real applications in the workplace. Also, having been in this internship helps me decide my final year modules as I discover what I am interested in.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The trading floor is noisy and buzzing as everyone expects it to be. However, I was told that this is not exactly representative of how trading floor is like since summer time is quieter than usual. Therefore, I can expect it to be noisier during busy times of the year. It is a lively fast paced environment.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The programme is well organised i.e. one week training and nine weeks at the desk. There are also four arranged Friday afternoon work shadowing. Of course we are encouraged to arrange other work shadowing in the area that we are interested in. The programme structure was well communicated before the internship and most of the details were given at the beginning of the internship.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • There was a one week training at the start of the programme - both soft skills and technical knowledge. This serves as an introduction to financial industry but eventually a lot more is learnt at the desk. The training could be more beneficial if more time is spent on explaining the fundamentals rather than trying to skim through all the content. There are online learning available if we need further knowledge on any particular area.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised/Company Gym

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I like the culture at HSBC a lot and therefore find it appealing to work here. Everyone in the intern class is capable and deserves a place here. Therefore, I am not certain how many places are available for the interns. There are good future prospects here especially now that EM has come into spotlight and Asia plays an increasingly significant role in global economic growth.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There is a good relationship among all the interns that we do go out together sometimes and ask each other for help.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • The price is expected for this area but still it is more on the expensive side and going out everyday could mean quite a huge sum of money.

    2/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • There are nice bars and restaurants around Canary Wharf area if you want to hang out after work.

    5/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There are some opportunities available for interns to get involved. There is a volunteering day to give us an idea of the volunteering opportunities available at HSBC. However, since the internship was only 10 weeks, there are limited number of activities we can join with the firm. There are a lot for full-time employees.

    4/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

August 2018


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