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Application process stage 4: Assessment centre

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

There are four stages to the graduate recruitment process:

Stage 4: Assessment centre


This is the final stage of the HSBC Private Bank graduate programme selection process.

Our assessment centres are two-way events. They’re not just designed to help us decide if you're right for us, they help you decide if we're right for you. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to find out more about what it's like to work for HSBC, and the kind of roles you could be doing. As always, the best advice is to be yourself and relax as much as possible.

The assessment centre revolves around a variety of one-to-one and group-based activities that give you the chance to display the key capabilities we look for in our graduates. We'll give you a clear brief at the beginning of each exercise and there are no tricks or hidden agendas. We won't try to trip you up – we genuinely want to give you the best chance to show us what you're capable of.

If you haven’t attended an assessment centre before, these tips may be useful:

  • Our aim is to find out if you are competent in a range of capabilities so all the exercises are capability-based. We assess every capability at least twice, so don’t worry if you think an exercise hasn’t gone particularly well for you – you’ll have at least one more opportunity to demonstrate your strength in each capability
  • Be involved during all the exercises. We can only assess your actual contribution during each event – we can only consider what you say, not what you may have been thinking
  • Keep an eye on the time during each exercise as it will have a specific time limit
  • You may find the centre tiring. But remember that we look for consistency of performance during the entire event, so try to keep your energy levels and enthusiasm high throughout
  • You'll take part in the assessment centre along with several other candidates. We don't make set numbers of job offers at each centre so you aren’t in competition with each other
  • We aim to let you know the outcome of the assessment centre within 24 hours

Apply now
If you'd like to apply for our graduate programme, please complete our online application form.

New UK graduate programme

HSBC Private Bank has launched a 12-month graduate programme specifically for the UK. Find out more in the careers section of the UK website.

Case studies
Learn about the experiences of key graduates at various stages of the programme in our case studies.

Careers with HSBC Group
To find out more about other student career opportunities within HSBC Group, visit the Student Careers Home.