• What is private banking?
• About HSBC Private Bank
• Sponsorship and events
• Investor relations
• Pressroom
• Careers
• Graduates
• Programme overview
• Case studies
• Rewards and benefits
• Application process
• Interns
• Private bankers

Application process stage 3: First interview

Applications for the 2009 graduate programme will close 30 November 2008.

There are four stages to the graduate recruitment process:

Stage 1: Online application form Stage 2: Online tests Stage 3: First interview   Stage 4: Assessment centre

Stage 3: First interview

Depending on which programme you apply for and your location your first interview will either be face-to-face or over the telephone. Telephone interviews These are very flexible as we are often able to offer evening and weekend time slots. If you haven't taken part in a telephone interview before, you might find these tips useful: Take it as seriously as you would a face-to-face interview. Just because it's over the telephone doesn't mean it's less important Remember which number you give us as your contact number for your telephone interview. You'd be surprised how many people forget to be in the right place to receive the call, or switch off their mobile phone thinking they've given us their landline number Make sure you can be somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed – particularly if you're using a mobile phone. If you do use a mobile phone, be sure to take the call somewhere with adequate reception Remember, you won't be able to give or receive all the visual clues that you normally can during a face-to-face interview. This makes listening extra important, and your oral communication skills essential. Make sure you've understood the questions and be as clear and articulate as you can when you answer Naturally, you'll have thought about your interview in advance. But avoid the temptation to prepare scripted answers to the questions you think you're going to get. Candidates who do this tend to find themselves delivering the answer they have prepared, (often rather unnaturally) rather than answering the question that was actually asked The telephone interview is structured in nature and the interviewer will have a time limit to keep to. So if they feel the example you're giving isn't providing them with the information they're looking for, they may interrupt and ask for another one. Equally, they may feel you've given plenty of evidence, and move you on to the next question. Don't be offended Face-to-face interviews Interviews don't have to be stressful. If you're well prepared and in the right frame of mind, they can be enjoyable. Before Make sure you know where you're going and how to get there - and give yourself plenty of time Re-read your application. Remember what you said and why you said it Remind yourself of the research you've already done on HSBC Private Bank and your chosen business area in particular. Knowing your facts and being able to demonstrate your understanding of the programme and industry show us you're serious about a career with us Prepare appropriate questions to ask. This is your chance to find out exactly what's involved in the work and the training, and to make sure both HSBC and the programme are right for you Beyond the essential criteria, we look for other skills and interests. So be ready to talk about yourself in a wider context During Wherever possible, your interviewer will be a line manager from your chosen business area Speak clearly and concisely, but avoid one-word answers. "Yes" and "no" won't tell your interviewer anything and will prevent you progressing to the next stage Like the telephone interviews, our face-to-face interviews are structured and capability-based. We want to find out whether you're competent in various capabilities that we look for in our graduates, so we’ll ask you to talk about specific examples of when you've used your skills and experience to demonstrate those capabilities. Answer the question you're asked rather than just talking about everything you know. This means listening carefully to what's being said Be yourself, relax and let your real personality come through We won't expect you to have an instant answer for every question. So don't be afraid of silences; take time to think about your responses. It's OK to ask for a question to be repeated or rephrased if you didn't understand it After We aim to get back to you within one week of your interview, although it's often much sooner. If you are successful, we'll invite you to take part in the final stage of the process, which is an assessment centre If you're unsuccessful, please be aware we can't offer individual feedback at this stage due to the sheer number of applicants we interview and their global spread. We appreciate that this is frustrating for you, but we can give feedback only after the final assessment centre Stage 4: Assessment centre