We recently caught up with Emily about how she secured a Technology Graduate role with HSBC, making an application stand out and her top tips for Bright Network members looking to follow in her footsteps.
What stood out to you about HSBC?
It was the community and how they give back. HSBC is focused on its impact on the whole world rather than the local community. This is important to me as someone who’s from Vietnam and I like that they think about places other than their own. HSBC are ethical and have a great focus on sustainability. They have an internal programme where they work with charities and give back.
How did you make your application stand out?
I do a lot of extracurricular work. I really like volunteering and helping people and I think that helped quite a lot because it shows what I’m passionate about. Diversity and inclusion is a big part of that and I think I showed that through my work with all these societies. Showing my interests other than academia helped too, for example I do computer science outside of my degree and spend time volunteering for the community.
I volunteered to teach my brother and his friends maths then turned this into a programme. I always help people in the local community with IT. This includes helping people setting up their technology and this helped me secure a technician role at my university.
What part of the application process did you find the most challenging?
The situational tests. It was quite long, and it was a lot to think about in a short amount of time. Obviously, you want to do well and there are so many components to think about, not just behavioural like how you would approach a team task, there is also maths involved and logic. You have to combine all of this whilst in a stressful situation.
I prepared by doing a lot of reading up. I also listened to Bright Network’s Thinking Commercially podcast. I researched HSBC’s website as well and read the news. Another part of my preparation was brushing up on simple maths and going on a website called Leetcode where you can practice your coding skills. I made time to practise with my friends and on my own, answering generic interview questions.
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
I went to so many career events! I went to the International Women’s Day and Women in TEC events. I liked learning about companies and meeting people. Before this, I went to online events too. I do a lot of career-focused networking.
What are your top tips for tackling tough interview questions?
If you’re stuck, you can repeat the question back to them. This gives you time to think as well. I’m a verbal learner, I have to say things to understand them instead of reading like visual learners. I like to think out loud because most of the time it’s not about the answer, it’s about how you get there. At the end of the day, they’re not trying to catch you out, they’re trying to help you. That sounds so clichéd but it’s true!
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Prepare by reading up on the website about the company. Prepare why you want to work for them specifically, show why you care about the company and the culture and what they do.
- Prepare with family and friends. They can help you with practise questions, like tell us when you’ve shown great leadership skills, that kind of thing.
- Be yourself. It’s an interview and yes you have to be more professional, but it’s really important that you show your personality because they’re hiring a person and not just someone to fit the role. To enjoy working in a company, you have to get on with the people. If you show your personality, you can see if they’re a good fit for you as well!
Let us know where you've secured your work experience, internship or graduate role. We want to celebrate your success with a gift from us and exclusive invitations to evening networking drinks throughout the year.
