Libby Sherratt

I studied Biology at university, but I knew a lab-based scientific career wasn’t for me. I much prefer working with people. That’s why the Wealth and Personal Banking programme jumped out – it was all about working in teams to help customers. Plus, the fact that HSBC is such a global business was exciting.

Wealth and Personal Banking is the retail banking part of HSBC. But it’s so much more than the branches on the high street. There’s ‘Distribution’ which covers the branches, the website, and all the ways customers contact HSBC. Then you also have ‘Product’, which is everything the bank offers – from mortgages to credit cards and savings accounts. Then, you have ‘Business Management’ functions like the Strategy team, who help this part of the business perform at its best. Then, of course, there’s the ‘Wealth’ part, which focuses on high-net worth customers.

“It’s nothing like my perceptions of banking. It’s so varied.”

One of the huge advantages of the Wealth and Personal Banking programme is that it’s so varied. This was great for me because although I knew I wanted to work with people, I didn’t know what I wanted my long-term career to be. Getting a taste of lots of different areas has been so helpful in understanding where my interests lie.

You complete three six-month rotations on the programme. My first one was in Customer Experience. I worked in a team that was identifying customer pain points so they could be improved. It was really rewarding, seeing the tangible difference you’re making to the bank.

My second rotation was in Third-Party Risk Management, helping to look at the risks the bank is exposed to through its third-party partnerships, I’m currently on my third rotation in the Private Bank, which services our high net-worth customers. It’s a completely different side of the business once again.

Playing to my strengths

Going into a banking job without any knowledge of finance was a little daunting. No one in my family works in finance and I didn’t have any contacts in the industry to talk to about it. But since my first day, I’ve been encouraged to focus on the skills and perspectives that I do bring, rather than what I lack. For example, I’ve got strong data analysis skills from my science degree and I can build an argument based on statistics, which is great for making business cases. With everything else, I got up to speed quickly. All the technical knowledge you need, you learn on the job.

HSBC has felt the right place for me since the beginning. I loved the Birmingham office, where I was based for my first two rotations. It’s nice and light and full of amazing colleagues. I’m also part of Strive, an employee resource group committed to supporting socio-economic diversity in the workplace. It’s a cause that’s close to my heart because I grew up in a lower socio-economic area. The group’s existence is testament to the way HSBC is inclusive and the many different opportunities you can embrace here.