Digital Business Services: Digital Innovation Graduate Programme

Why did you decide to join the HSBC graduate programme?

I chose HSBC because it’s a global organisation which has a tremendous impact on the lives of everyone – I wanted to be part of this and contribute to the positive change and innovation, knowing that the work that I would do, would help people worldwide. Growing and learning is something that is important to me and working at HSBC provides me with endless opportunities to develop professionally and personally.

What development training or career progression opportunities have you experienced on the graduate programme?

During our first month on the graduate scheme, we had a 6-week training program where we learned about agile, leadership skills, Python programming fundamentals, SQL, HTML and more – this helped us prepare for our first rotations. There are also plenty of resources available for us to develop professionally too, such as HSBC University, LinkedIn Learning and we can also study for accredited certifications such as the Certified Scrum Master certification, which I’m working towards. Within the first few weeks of joining my team as a Scrum Master Support Analyst, I was also given my first mini project to run end-to-end. I chaired meetings and presented in front of senior management.

What character traits or skills do you think are unique or essential to a graduate or intern in Digital Business Services (DBS)?

I think having a growth mindset and resilience is really important. Volunteering is something that helps me have a growth mindset; I do a lot of volunteering at HSBC, where I’m involved in many initiatives focusing on diversity and inclusion within Technology. Being part of these initiatives means that I give back to the community, whilst improving my communication skills, and learning and understanding my core values. I think resilience is also important – working in Tech in a bank means that you are in a fast-paced environment where learning is key, and setbacks are expected. Being resilient means you’re able self-reflect and learn from these.

How does HSBC embrace new technologies?

HSBC global headquarters has a newly built Innovation Showroom which is dedicated towards the latest emerging, innovative technology featuring a custom built 8K LED wall, interactive floor projection, VR headsets and so much more. There are teams who work on bringing new technologies to the bank and they look at how they can use them to foster collaboration with different organisations and industries. HSBC also puts a huge focus on quantum computing where complex problems can be solved in rapid time, as well as Cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity.