HSBC Summer Intern Review

The people were really nice and friendly and through the internship I gained a much greater understanding of how banks operate. The internship was quite flexible and the more proactive I was, the more enjoyment I got from it.

My colleagues always listened to my opinion and included me in what was going on in the office, both professionally and with regards to social events which helped me to feel very comfortable in the office.

My supervisor gave me a lot of support in anything I wished to pursue and there was some guidance as to what this might be but the real advantage of the internship was that it wasn't too rigorously monitored so you were able to shape your own experience, to a certain extent. I also found the 'buddy' system really supportive - each intern is allocated a buddy on the graduate scheme to be an informal and confidential point of contact. Interaction with my buddy really helped me to be proactive within my internship and give me an idea of life on the graduate scheme.

As with most internships, some days there was not that much to do but throughout the programme, each intern had a project which they could pursue on slower days. My colleagues were very keen that I did not feel I had to stay late or was overburdened with work.

The amount of responsibility I was given increased as I developed relationships with my colleagues and proved my competencies.

Although I do not necessarily intend on working in commercial banking (where my placement was), the skills of relationship building, problem-solving and analysis that I developed during my internship will be useful in the future, as will be the experience of having to adapt to new surroundings.

Everyone was really friendly and nice but it was quite a small office and often included the presence of senior management which, unsurprisingly, changed the atmosphere at times.

The intern co-ordinator did a great job in looking after all of us and there was a good guide to what to do throughout the internship but it very much depended on the local set-up of the office you were in as to how well your internship was organised.

There was training at the start of the internship and two days towards the end where the interns were introduced to life at HSBC and then a day of volunteering - all these experiences helped provide financial and personal training.

Over the internship I really enjoyed the atmosphere of HSBC and have been offered a job on one of their graduate schemes.

As the interns are dispersed across the country, it would be hard to generate a great deal socially amongst the interns. There were, however, often drinks in London and a big fundraising quiz night when all the interns were brought together. Most colleagues were considerably older but there were still plenty of nice lunches to break up the day, I developed good relationships with the other interns and graduates in the area.

In the area I worked I only really socialised for lunch out, which was just the usual price for the South East.

The nightlife in the area was fine but I did not engage in evening activities with work colleagues as most of them had families to get home to etc.

We all had a fundraising challenge to meet, which we could engage with in any way we liked, and were e-mailed with various other opportunities such as half-marathons, bungee jumping and quizzes.