Zuzanna Orzechowska

I joined the company at the end of July while completing my PhD in Physics. My background is in experimental physics, so making the leap into the corporate world, especially in the finance sector, has been both an intellectual and personal challenge. It’s a completely different environment from academia, but I’ve found it to be an incredibly rewarding experience so far.

Being part of the net zero transition

What drew me to HSBC is how well their values align with mine, especially their commitment to the Net Zero transition. I’ve always been mindful of the small, everyday changes we can make to reduce our environmental impact, and I was impressed by how openly HSBC is embracing this. They’re not just talking about it – they’re making moves. As someone who tries to live sustainably, it’s exciting to be part of a company that is genuinely working towards creating a positive change on such a large, global scale.

On a more personal level, HSBC stood out to me because I had heard great things from former alumni at my university. Many of my colleagues at Jagiellonian University in Kraków have built successful careers here, and knowing that they found long-term fulfilment at HSBC gave me the confidence to take this leap into a new field. I’m currently based in Poland, where my role focuses on front-end development and dashboarding services for high-level data analysis.

“It’s fascinating work, especially for someone like me, who has always enjoyed coding and solving complex problems.”

A typical day for me is pretty varied, but it starts with checking emails and messages from my team. My team is distributed globally – most of them are based in China – so we only have a couple of hours each day where our schedules overlap. We start with a daily stand-up meeting, where we discuss any challenges or progress on our tasks. Since I’m still new, a big part of my job is learning the ropes and supporting the team wherever I can, especially in answering technical queries related to the platform I’m currently helping to support. This platform deals with sending credentials to facilitate smooth transitions between services, so it’s a small but vital part of the overall system.

I love the hybrid work environment we have here. It’s a great balance between being able to focus deeply on tasks when working from home and the collaborative opportunities that come with being in the office. When I’m in the office, I try to meet as many people as possible – other graduates, my colleagues – and just have conversations over lunch or coffee. It’s a great way to learn about different projects and what others are working on. However, I also enjoy the quiet focus that remote working provides, especially when you’re knee-deep in code or troubleshooting.

Delivering with impact

One of the highlights of my journey so far was during our technical training. We were tasked with creating a virtual wallet application in a small team, and over three weeks, we turned an idea into a functional product. It was an incredible learning experience, and I felt a huge sense of accomplishment at the end. It’s moments like these that make me realise how much I’m growing both professionally and personally.

I’m excited about what lies ahead, and I can’t wait to contribute even more to the innovative projects at HSBC. There’s so much potential here to not only learn but to make an impact on a global scale.