Need Advice: Take HSBC Corporate Banking Summer 2026 Role or Wait for IB Opportunities?

Investment banking Exit opportunities
1

Hey everyone,

I’m a sophomore studying Finance and Economics and got an internship offer from HSBC for their Corporate & Institutional Banking division in NYC for summer 2026. Not sure if I should take it or keep looking for investment banking positions.

Offer details:

  • $48.07 per hour plus $2k for housing
  • Located in New York City
  • 401k benefits included
  • 10 weeks covering client relations, capital markets, and corp finance
  • Good chance of getting full-time offer after graduation

My situation:
I want to get into investment banking and maybe private equity down the road. I have a pending interview with Graham Partners (PE firm) but their timeline goes beyond my HSBC decision deadline. I only have about a week to decide.

Main concerns:

  1. Will HSBC CIB experience be good enough to help me land IB or PE roles later?
  2. Could this hurt my chances when I recruit for junior year IB internships?
  3. Should I wait for a more technical IB role at a smaller firm or just accept this since recruiting is so tough?

Anyone with CIB, investment banking, or PE experience have thoughts? Just want to make the right career move here.

Thanks for any input!

2

Take the HSBC offer. I’ve been in finance for years - having something solid on your resume beats gambling on maybes. Graham Partners sounds promising, but who knows how that’ll go?

The HSBC role won’t hurt your IB recruiting at all. I’ve worked with people who did CIB first, then moved to BB banks later. The client exposure and deal flow there is solid. Plus $48/hour isn’t bad for a sophomore.

You can network during the internship and use those connections. Bird in the hand - take it and don’t look back.

3

You’d be crazy to pass this up! HSBC’s name recognition opens doors everywhere. The compensation’s amazing for a sophomore, and you’ll still build the finance fundamentals you need for PE recruiting later.

4

Take the HSBC CIB role - it’s a solid move for your timeline. You’ll get great deal exposure and financial modeling experience at a tier-1 bank, which translates well when recruiting for IB later. About 15-20% of CIB analysts successfully move into investment banking within 18 months after graduation. The pay’s competitive at $48/hour, and having this experience locked down takes pressure off junior year recruiting. Sure, pure IB internships give you a more direct path to PE, but HSBC’s capital markets work will still teach you relevant technical skills. Since you’re a sophomore and recruiting’s always uncertain, this gives you a strong foundation while keeping your options open. You can still network and recruit for IB roles during the program - maybe even leverage HSBC’s internal opportunities or connections you make through client work.