Application process

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2010 graduate programme.

There are four stages to the graduate recruitment process:

Stage 1: Online application form

If you wish to apply for a place on our private banking graduate programme, you must first complete the online application form. We know you’ll invest time and effort researching the industry and completing each stage of your application. We’ll invest just as much time and effort in return - we can assure you that a member of the recruitment team reads each and every application we receive, and assesses it carefully against our selection criteria.

Before you decide to apply for a career with HSBC Private Bank, it is important to find out as much information as possible about us and the industry. This website is designed to help you learn about us, our values and the exciting career path we offer.

The application form is your first chance to sell yourself so make sure you invest time and care in completing your form. The following tips should help:

It's a good idea to print the application form, read it through carefully and think about your answers - write them out and rewrite them until you're happy - before you start to fill in the form online
Use the "save and return" facility if you're short of time. Even if you're not, it's always wise to take a break, then re-read what you've written with a fresh pair of eyes. This gives you another chance to make sure you haven't missed anything out and to spot mistakes
Many employers now use online application forms, and it’s tempting to cut and paste your answers from one form to another. However, it’s unlikely the questions are exactly the same and you'll often fail to answer the question if you do this
Keep a copy of the application form to re-read before your interview

Sections of the form

Section One: Personal Information
This first section of the application form asks questions relating to your personal details, qualifications, work history and activities, and positions of responsibility.

We’ve tried to make the application form flexible and user-friendly for applicants from all over the world. This is a challenge as last year we received applications from over 100 different nationalities and each country has a different education system.

To help both us and you, please supply us with as much detail as you can – it will only slow down your application if we have to contact you to find out details of your qualifications. Where possible, please list all the subjects and results you achieved – don’t try to convert what you have into the UK system. We have qualification conversion tables, so tell us what you have, and we will work out whether you meet our requirements.

Gauge whether your pre-university qualifications meet our requirements by referring to our qualifications comparison table. Please note this table is not exhaustive – it covers just a few countries and simply a guide.

Section two: Open questions
This stage of the application form offers you the opportunity to demonstrate your interests and motivations for applying. Here are some tips:

Keep your answers informative but concise. To help you, we’ve included a word count for some of the questions. Most importantly, make sure your answer is relevant. Many people fall down at this stage because they fail to answer the question asked, or they simply do not give us enough information. Remember, we can’t fill in the blanks – we can only assess the information you give us
Don't just describe your achievements - explain what you've learned from them. And tell us how you've used your skills and experiences giving examples from a wide range of situations - they don't have to be academic. Keep your examples as current as possible. Don't exaggerate them or make them up as we're likely to ask you about them at interview
Remember there are no "right" or "wrong" answers. We’ll want to know why you want to work for us and your reasons for applying to your chosen business area. So make sure you've done your research, investigated all your options and can explain how you've reached your decision
Stage 2: Online tests