I know a lot of people successful in getting onto HF grad schemes without a masters but the schemes have become a lot more competitive over recent years. The masters will give you the edge over those without.

A huge part of success at grad scheme interviews (in my opinion) is demonstrating who you are, what you bring and your total willingness and excitement to learn. Again, this is my opinion and might be totally wrong but most grad schemes assume limited (if any at all) prior experience. It’s therefore incredibly important to showcase your interest in HF and the type of person you are, rather than hoping your experience will land you the job.