Hear what some of our people have to say about their roles in HSBC Wealth Management.
Interviews:
Abas, Financial Planning Manager
Kirsty, Financial Planning Manager
Mike, Sales Manager
Interview with Abas, Financial Planning Manager
How long have you been working with HSBC?
I've been working for HSBC for 10 months now. I joined in July 2006. Previously to that I worked for a company called Glaxo SmithKline working in direct sales. My original background is working in high street banks. In the time that I've been working with HSBC I've gone through lots of courses and training, trying to get my qualifications done. I've been in several branches since then learning how HSBC's products and services work.
Why did you join HSBC?
Primary reason for joining HSBC is: the people I met on my interview, those are the people who are going to be my potential managers. I felt really comfortable, really welcome by them. Having the knowledge that I'd be working with these people on a day-to-day basis gave me great confidence that I'll probably be working with a bunch of people that I'll get along really well with. Second reason is the role of the financial planning manager: there are very few companies out there that actually take on trainee financial planning managers and HSBC is one of the very few companies that do that. Also looking at the beneficial package offered to me by HSBC was probably one of the best in the market. Some other reasons: The opportunities and challenges available within the bank. Also the brand itself which is well renowned.
Most big companies offer good training, what’s so special about HSBC’s?
For the training I can only talk about my own personal experience. My first ever day at HSBC was on a two week training course up in Brickleswood in Hertfordshire. The setup was absolutely beautiful. They had onsite training center, onsite gym, onsite living accommodation, onsite restaurant there. The people I worked with there, including the trainers, were very friendly, very approachable, very knowledgeable. The training center prepared me for what I should expect. They also gave me background history about HSBC and what the future plans are.
What lies ahead for HSBC’s Wealth team – and for you?
Well the Wealth team is constantly changing and constantly improving! I'm a trainee financial planning manager so I've got a structured planning place. My ambitions for the next two and a half, two years is to complete my training plan successfully and become a fully accredited financial planning manager.
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Interview with Kirsty, Financial Planning Manager
Why did you join HSBC?
I joined HSBC because it's a well respected large company. I knew I'd have the potential to progress my career. I have a young family as well so obviously I knew that with a company like HSBC I'd be able to find a balance between my working career and my family life.
What were your preconceptions before joining?
My preconceptions before joining HSBC were that it was realistic about working family life and career. I thought I would be able to work for them full time and that's pretty much what I've experienced. I found it very easy to negotiate my working hours. They were very accommodating.
If you had to sum up the qualities that you need to be successful at HSBC, in just three words, what would they be?
If I had to sum up the qualities you needed to be successful within HSBC I would say you need to be flexible in your approach, you have to be willing to learn and take on new ideas, and you need to be approachable to both your customers and your colleagues.
What are the strengths of the product range HSBC is able to offer high value customers?
I think the products we're given to work with everyday within HSBC obviously gives us the distinct advantage because we have the brand of HSBC behind us. The range of products we have is quite expansive and I honestly feel we have something for every single customer who walks in our door.
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Interview with Mike, Sales Manager
What were your preconceptions before joining?
Before joining HSBC I thought potentially given the size of the company it might be somewhat impersonal and I would not necessarily be managed on a local basis, however during the 10 months I've been with the company that's proved not to be the case and I very much have local involvement in terms of my management and the people I manage.
If you had to sum up the qualities that you need to be successful at HSBC, in just three words, what would they be?
If I had to sum up the qualities that I feel you need to be successful within HSBC in three words I think initially I'd say adaptable because even within the limited time period that I've been with the bank there's been a number of changes which you need to be prepared to respond to and move with. I'd also say open minded because whichever part of the bank you're in it's likely you'll come across some work within different sectors and different divisions. And finally I'd think I'd say committed because you do get a certain amount of freedom but you need to be quite disciplined and make sure that you work hard and do what you need to do on a day-to-day basis.
What lies ahead for HSBC’s Wealth team – and for you?
The future for HSBC's Wealth team in my opinion is gonna continue to grow and expand on the great work it's already doing. For me personally, I joined the bank initially to specialize in the mortgage market, HSBC's committed to becoming a mortgage bank and as a result we've changed and developed the role of the mortgage managers within the branches. So I'm gonna be working closely with them to make sure they've got the skills to fulfill their roles effectively and deliver the performance that we want.
What would you say to anyone who’s considering a career at HSBC?
I would definitely encourage anybody that's considering a career with HSBC to join. Once you're in the bank you're exposed to lots of different departments and lots of different sectors of the bank and once you're familiar and got a flavor for them there's lots of opportunities to move around and expand your career once you've joined.
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