Nina Stenning

If someone had told me when I first joined HSBC 15 years ago that this is where I’d be today, I wouldn’t have believed them. I never intended to carve out a career at the bank. I’d been doing a number of temping roles since leaving school before joining HSBC Invoice Finance, processing cheques in their payments admin team, simply because it was a permanent role. Without A-levels, a degree, or a background in economics or finance, a banking career was not on my radar. However, I soon realised the array of opportunities available at HSBC and decided to make the most of them.

I started with a couple of internal moves within Invoice Finance, first to Credit Control and then to the New Client Team. Eventually, I wanted to try something different and explore the bigger world outside of Invoice Finance. I got a mentor who arranged for me to attend a ‘Join Me’ day in London – an internal careers discovery day where you meet people from across the bank and learn about their work. After talking to a couple of people about being a Relationship Support Analyst and hearing how much they enjoyed the role, I focused my efforts on finding an analyst role in Middle Market Enterprises (MME) within UK Commercial Banking.

I’ll be honest, I faced a couple of knockbacks at first since I was coming from Invoice Finance and didn’t have any banking experience. But I persevered. When an Analyst role came up in the East London MME team, I was determined to get an interview. I called the Deputy Area Director and said, “I know you're going to look at my CV and see I don’t have experience, but I really want this role.” My resilience and confidence paid off, and I managed to get an interview and subsequently the role with them. It was a great move within a brilliant team. The work was challenging and a step up in grade, but I knew it would open doors, and I wanted to prove myself. After a couple more years, I moved into a Relationship Manager role in our International Subsidiary Banking Team before taking on my current role as a Relationship Director.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people here. Their support and wisdom have been invaluable. The experience within this organisation is incredible, and the fact that people use that experience to support others is really special. I have worked hard to get where I am today, but the people here have fully supported and helped me on that journey – whether through formal mentoring or a manager simply helping me out and giving me opportunities to prove myself.

HSBC truly cares about its people and clients, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed. The opportunities within the bank are vast, and regardless of personality, experience, or background, there really is a role here for everyone. You can achieve a lot, but ultimately your development starts with you. If you have the right determination, you’ll achieve your ambitions.