We brought back the super informative Tech Careers Insight Day for a second year running, all thanks to our friends over at HSBC and Microsoft. The young people, who were in year 10 to year 12, had the amazing privilege of being hosted in at the global sky-scraping HSBC headquarters in Canary Wharf where they had a morning filled with all things Design Thinking, offering them a chance to explore the exciting world of creative problem-solving followed by an afternoon of tech careers insights, speed networking and information about early careers.
Revolutionary Design Thinking: Unleashing Innovative Ideas
We started the morning with an interactive session led by HSBC colleagues centred around design thinking. The group were given a fun challenge: individually come up with 50 potential obstacles that could hinder their ability to study, all within a tight 3-minute timeframe. In doing so, they were really put to the test, stretching their minds to come up with not only the obvious issues like procrastination and social media distractions but also thinking outside the box to generate more unique and unconventional problems. As a team, they needed to rank their problems based on the problem they felt had the greatest impact and further refine their choice down to one problem per group. It was a dynamic group exercise where they worked together to narrow down their choices, ultimately selecting one key problem per group.
Unified on their chosen problem, they were then challenged to brainstorm 8 potential solutions using the idea generation technique. And to add a final touch of excitement, each group pitched their best solution to the wider team. The whole process was an insight into problem generation, creative solution generation and innovation, as they collectively explored new ways to overcome their study obstacles.
Embracing 'Yes and': Eliminating 'No' for Limitless Possibilities!
During the morning session, the HSBC team shared a fantastic technique that transformed the way the group approached problem-solving. By simply removing the word 'no' from their collaborative discussions and replacing it with 'yes and,' the young participants were introduced to the art of collaboration without shutting down others' ideas. Instead, they learned how to build upon existing concepts, leading to truly innovative solutions. It was a teachable experience that encouraged open-mindedness.
“There are multiple ways to approach problems but the best way to approach a problem is throwing multiple ideas from each person in the room, don’t reject any idea because each idea is valuable” Levi – participant.
Sky-High Innovation
The young people were granted a prestigious opportunity to visit the renowned Innovation Lab on the executive 42nd floor, overlooking the London skyline. This state-of-the-art lab is known to be one of its kind in the country, and the group were thrilled to have the chance to immerse themselves in its spectacular innovations.
Microsoft Colleagues' Journeys and Insights into Generative AI
After lunch, the team were given the opportunity to hear the inspiring stories of three Microsoft colleagues. Each of them shared their journeys into the tech world, with a focus on Cloud Solutions Architecture, Sales, and Marketing at Xbox. Their stories were an eye-opener for the young participants, showing them just how diverse and non-linear career paths in tech can be.
Additionally, the group received an overview of Generative AI, including technologies like Chat-GPT. They were informed about its increasing popularity and the potential benefits it can bring, but they were also made aware of the future challenges and potential risks associated with its use.
“My favourite part was networking with all the people speaking about their experiences, their journeys and how they got to University, but that was just their path to get where they are.” Adeola – participant.
Speed Networking
Graduates and colleagues from various departments joined in for a networking session with the group. It presented a wonderful opportunity for our young participants to flex their networking skills and gain valuable insights straight from the professionals. Each interaction was time-limited to just 7 minutes before they rotated to the next group of professionals. This setup encouraged them to engage in rapid chats and making the most of every moment to ask their most important questions.
Essential Tips to Be a Successful Hire
We wrapped up the incredible Insight Day with an insightful presentation, shedding light on crucial recruitment and employability tips for HSBC's early careers. The team was told about the various stages of the interview process and given tips on how to make their applications stand out. Our young people were introduced to the plethora of early career opportunities that HSBC has in store. It was a perfect way to wrap up the day, leaving the participants feeling empowered and well-equipped for their future endeavours potentially with HSBC.
Creating an equal start line
Our mission continues to create an equal start line so that no one is left behind, regardless of their ethnic or social background. Our insight days and work experience opportunities with leading organisations and large employers such as these inspire young people to believe they can and also build a diverse pipeline of leaders for the future.
Missed out on this opportunity? You can sign up to our free WYZ For Work course today, which allows you to access our next set of work experience opportunities.
If your interested in hosting a an insight day with us, please visit our partnerships page.