2000s

Sumita Sarkar

Cost and Scenario manager | HSBC

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I came to the UK as an international student in 2007. After completing my degree in Cardiff, I moved to London to look for job opportunities in the finance sector. However, following the financial crisis in 2008, it was a tough job market, and I was struggling to get any interviews. I was away from my family, and most of my university friends had gone back to their respective countries – it was a difficult time for me.

As part of my job search, I attended a range of job fairs, and it was at one of these fairs that I first heard about Making The Leap. I met someone who had been in a similar position before doing Making The Leap’s ACE Programme, and they highly recommended it.

So I signed up for the ACE Programme, and it had a huge impact on me. Before coming to Making The Leap, I had very little confidence, and I was not the kind of person who would speak up in front of large audiences. However, through the workshop exercises, I gained experience of presenting and speaking in groups, which slowly built up my confidence and communication skills. I also took part in mock interviews with the Making The Leap team, which helped me to understand what interviewers are looking for, how to present myself, and to feel more comfortable in an interview setting. After a long period of unsuccessful job applications, developing these skills was a huge morale booster.

After the workshop, Betty helped me to register with a recruitment agency – this led to a contractor role with ICICI, a multi-national Asian bank. Soon after this, I was invited to an interview for a role at HSBC, and Making The Leap stepped in again – Betty and Carmen worked late into the evenings with me, helping me to prepare through mock interviews and building up my confidence. I was eventually offered the role at HSBC, and my very first call was to Betty to tell her the good news and to thank the whole team for the support they gave me.

I’ve been with HSBC for almost 12 years now. I’ve worked across multiple finance roles, and I’ve been promoted three times since joining the bank. Throughout my career at HSBC, I’ve always been thankful for everything I learned at Making The Leap – from time management and goal setting to how to deal with difficult situations at work. All these years later, I still read through and reflect on my notes from the ACE Programme!

Thinking back to my situation before Making The Leap, there were definitely times when I wanted to give up and go back to be with my family in my home country. But I found a second family in Making The Leap, who provided career guidance, moral support, and made me realise I didn’t have to give up on my dreams. I am forever grateful for everything Making The Leap has done for me.

You can learn more about Sumita’s career via her LinkedIn profile.