Working With A Positive Attitude – Anabel’s Story

Anabel shares her story of joining Standard Chartered as an intern

After completing my BA in Accountancy, I joined Standard Chartered as an intern. This was an invaluable opportunity to learn and build on the skills and experience I developed throughout my studies. When my internship was coming to a close, I moved to the International Graduate Programme to continue my journey with Standard Chartered. 

A welcoming recruitment process 

The recruitment process with Standard Chartered was tailored to me from the very beginning. The online strengths assessment and cultural fit assessment fed back a detailed report to help me realise my strengths and areas I could improve. This helped me move through the following stages with confidence. 

Standard Chartered is a human bank with welcoming and collaborative processes at all levels, including recruitment. Since joining the International Graduate programme, I’ve seen first-hand the level of support and guidance given to young team members, which helps make learning and development comfortable. 

 Open to every opportunity

Before starting the International Graduate Programme, I headed to Shanghai for the International Induction programme, which lasted five weeks. During this period, I met many other graduates from around the world. Straight away, I felt like part of a community that would join me on my journey into professional banking. In addition to these personal connections, training sessions helped prepare me for moving around the organisation with the International Graduate Programme. 

 “The five-week International Induction Programme in Shanghai was an invaluable learning experience for me. I was able to forge relationships, communicate, and work with International Graduates from different parts of the world.” 

The International Graduate Programme offered an exciting opportunity for me to expand my potential. I approached every day with a growth mindset, exploring different areas to find the division that would suit me best. I was also able to create and build on relationships with colleagues across the entire organisation, making settling in more comfortable. 

Throughout the International Graduate experience, I was offered many opportunities to meet and work with senior leaders, who were always open and willing to share their insights and expertise. These conversations have not only helped me broaden my network but let me gain a holistic understanding of where I work.  

Finding my place in Risk  

Risk is a challenging and exciting division to work in, encouraging me to have a forward-thinking attitude to always anticipate things that might happen. It’s a dynamic and ever-changing role centred around problem-solving and maintaining high standards. 

 Working on memorable projects 

The International Graduate Programme has exposed me to many projects, making it hard to choose just one that stands out. Working on an international broadcast from the Singapore office was a highlight. The task was to increase readership for conduct-related communications, and I was able to work on the project from start to finish, which was very fulfilling. The project let me work with various internal and external stakeholders, too, expanding my network further.  

In the end, the broadcast more than doubled the click rate for conduct-related communications. And, the infographic we created has been adopted by several other teams. Truly rewarding! 

 My future with Standard Chartered 

I’ve always been interested in banking, and joining the industry with Standard Chartered has confirmed that it’s my ideal career. The diverse opportunities and open communication across all levels make me excited about working every day. I can’t wait to see where I can go in the long term! 

Be open to the opportunities that come your way and remind yourself to grow.