Joey – HTS Management Trainee
I write this article having been in my first placement as a HTS graduate for a duration of two months...and believe me when I say; it has flown by faster than Usain Bolt running the 100metres! Having moved out of London into the West Midlands that is Birmingham, I have met so many new people who have all helped me settle down and acclimatise to the new environment, especially the good old “Brummy” accent!
So what have I been up to I hear you cry? Well, from day one in the office I was introduced to my team and all the senior management in my business area. I had been designated my project and got straight down to business. My project involves Debt Recovery Agents who deal on the banks behalf to liaise with the customer in an appropriate and compliant way to recover any outstanding debt that may have accrued. Within a few weeks I was given the responsibility to carry forward the running of weekly meetings with my project stakeholders and business area managers providing updates and discussing any ideas or issues. This was initially daunting but very rewarding and enjoyable when you are told you are doing a great job!
Being a HSBC graduate is also lots of fun, I attended the Graduate Community BBQ where some other graduates revelled in partaking in “it’s a knockout” type games and some graduates (myself included) rounded the night off by shaking a leg in the local club. As well as raising money for charity the event presented a good opportunity to network. I made valuable contacts in networking with older graduates and also bonding with other graduates on other graduate programmes.
Sometimes I feel like I am an artist on tour. As I have spent the majority of my life situated in London whether studying or living at home, I now am presented with the opportunity to explore the UK as HSBC is globally and of course nationally recognised. I have been to Sheffield for a two day course with some other graduates and also have been to the dizzy heights of Leeds to visit First Direct, all part of the wider HSBC Group. On both occasions, the graduates and I have explored the respective cities we were in and all had a memorable time for several reasons.
I have also had the proud opportunity to represent HSBC in a careers fair at Brunel University. This was particularly a very sweet moment for me personally as I actually studied at Brunel for my undergraduate degree. At the fair I spoke to a vast amount of students who were considering applying to our graduate programmes and it was extremely satisfying being able to hand out advice and talk about my experiences so far.
Back at work I volunteered to organise a football competition to raise money for a charity called CLIC Sargent which supports children and young adults with cancer. Organising this event was far tougher and challenging than I first presumed but I was provided ample support from another graduate. Fortuitously enough too, I had attended a Planning and Control course a few weeks prior to the event hence I was able to transfer some key learning points from the course. The event itself was a great success with lots of funds raised; some colleagues have already started asking me to organise another!
The weeks just keep flying by and now I find myself also studying for an IFS degree as well as simultaneously handling my day job. However I am a strong believer that hard work pays off and consequently, I am off to maintain a good balance by attending the annual Christmas party which is a very formal and enjoyable affair. I can proudly state I have been headhunted to sit on another table that is not my immediate team. I guess I am liked just as much as I like them!
I will conclude by saying life as a HTS graduate is challenging but is also very rewarding at the same time. If you are willing to work hard and face challenges as they come you will go a long way. There is always support readily available from managers and other graduates amongst others, and there are many opportunities to showcase your skills in getting involved in extra curricular events which come all too frequently.