THE number of students leaving university with a degree has increased by more than two thirds over the past decade and yet the trend among Britain’s best-known employers has been to reduce the number of graduates they hire each year. There is now just a handful of organisations with a graduate intake of 250 recruits or more.

HSBC is one employer that continues to operate a substantial graduate programme. The bank’s strong performance in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers is certainly helped by the size of its annual recruitment and the very wide range of different career options for new graduates.

There are six main entry programmes at HSBC. The largest is branch banking and about a third of all new-starters at the bank join the 1,600-strong branch network for a two-year development scheme that provides experience at the front line of retail or business banking. There are also opportunities to work in customer services — the bank’s call centres and branch support function — or executive management.

For the more adventurous, HSBC offers a prestigious overseas graduate programme. The international manager scheme prepares high-flying university-leavers for commercial banking roles all over the world. It is a truly international career path and postings can be to anywhere in the world, to any part of the group.

Closer to home, about a quarter of HSBC’s graduates join the investment banking and wealth management businesses in London. After completing regulatory exams and four weeks of intensive industry learning, a rotational scheme provides graduates with experience in a range of areas such as global markets, corporate finance, research, private banking and asset management.

HSBC also recruits a number of graduate trainees for its IT centres in Sheffield, and for the international insurance broking division in London.



Martin Birchall is editor of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers

HSBC

What is it? HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations, with nearly 10,000 offices in 77 countries. More than 8,000 staff work at the bank’s new headquarters in Canary Wharf, London.

What graduate jobs are on offer? In 2005 there were more than 400 vacancies across the HSBC group, including branch banking, customer services, IT, international management, investment banking and wealth management, and a number of head office functions. Applications for some business areas have now closed.

Where are the jobs? Nationwide.

What are starting salaries like? Salaries vary according to job function and location.

What’s the competition like? More than 10,000 applied for 300 graduate vacancies at the company in 2004.

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers is based on research with more than 15,000 final-year university students. Order the latest edition from Times Books First for only £11.99 (RRP £14.99). Call 0870 1608080 or visit www.timesonline.co.uk/booksfirstbuy

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