Overwhelmed by the aura of the occasion and the venue, my eyes sparkled at the terrific arrangement in place for the welcome of summer interns. This is how the internship journey started at the prestigious Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. It was only an hour into the first day that the nerves settled, and the HR team made the interns feel that they were already an integral part of the organization.
Free Fun Fact #1: Amidst all the fun activities of the induction, one is continuously evaluated on behavioral aspects and should be careful about the impression being formed
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) – is the underlying philosophy on which the organization works and provides solutions to its client. I as an intern experienced the same, for all that was presented and promised during the pre-placement talk assumed reality as the Summer Internship progressed. An office with zero cabins, open discussions, instant feedback, flexible timings, individual ownership of work, funtastic Fridays, family days and lots of care and laughter characterizes the work culture here.
Free Fun Fact #2: The organization is not only about the fun culture; when it comes to performing at work, everyone is laser focused
Apart from professionalism, people here teach life lessons – the greatest takeaway. The concept of hierarchy and colleagues take a back seat here as each and everyone around is as warm and caring as a friend. This is not an organization composed of departments, this is a community composed of families. Don’t be surprised when I reveal that the organization I interned with was a bank; the largest trade bank in the world – HSBC.
Free Fun Fact #3: “Time is Money” - Time is the scarcest resource at HSBC and it is imperative not to waste a single moment of interaction time
The processes at HSBC are as transparent as clear water, and data is as readily available as oxygen. Processes and data are as important for HSBC as water and oxygen are for human life. The most satisfying moment of the internship for an intern is when the recommendations are implemented even before the internship culminates and one can control the process in real-time. Little did I know prior to joining that I would be fortunate enough to see my recommendations get implemented and get to control the process real time.
Free Fun Fact #4: If enthusiasm and desire to work is showcased as an intern, every person at HSBC is more than willing to help
That’s all said about the organization and the people there. But, how does one prepare to get into this amazing organization and what are the necessary qualities that one must have to make it through? The selection process is the standard format of Group Discussion followed by Personal Interviews. The GD topics are mostly on current affairs and are targeted towards assessing a candidate’s analytical skills and the ability to read between the lines. The personal interview assesses a candidate’s communication skills, clarity of thought, knowledge of basic financial concepts and the ability to empathize with all the stakeholders of business irrespective of the hierarchical position. The easiest way to sail through the selection process is to be genuine and speak the heart out. Honesty is always appreciated at HSBC.
Free Fun Fact #5: Approach the interview as a casual chat. This may sound generic and lame, but this is what yields confidence and the ability to be authentic
The internship concluded in a similar fashion in which it had begun. A leadership session followed by a cocktail party where we had the privilege of meeting some of the finest professionals in the banking industry and the new batch of Management Trainees joining HSBC. As I sit today in my campus at JBIMS, I miss those wonderful eight weeks at HSBC and feel grateful for the 4 Ps of internship (Professionalism, Practicality, Pleasure of working with the best, Personal nurturing) that HSBC gave me, and I hope that the fifth P (the most important one) follows soon.