Bank Jobs in India:
Are you looking for a job which comes with a decent starting salary and a good job security? Well, then you should be looking for Bank Jobs. This is one sector in the job scenario in India which offers a steady income and comes with job security, which most of the IT and private companies cannot give these days. Thus people, especially with a commerce background, are more and more tending to go into the banking sector these days. However it is not so easy to get a job in a bank and if you want one, then you will have to work hard for it.
Important details about bank jobs
There are a lot of important details that one needs to be aware of when it comes to seeking for jobs in a bank. First and foremost you need to realise that in order to actually get placed in a bank you will have to pass examinations and then a grinding interview. These phases are quite tough and you need to prepare well for them. If you are sincere in your efforts, you can actually pass these examinations on the first try.
The first thing that you need to know about Bank Jobs is that the examination dates are announced rather erratically, only if there are vacancies in the post in a substantial number. So if you want to stay updated about the jobs that are available you will have to subscribe to a site which will provide you with all the information in a timely manner. You can try to follow the newspapers for updates as well. Since the vacancy posts are not announced too often, there is always a very high competition for these jobs. When you are applying for jobs in Indian banks you should be on the lookout for:
- PO and clerical post jobs along with Specialist officers that are offered by SBI, because they have a good starting salary and job security,
- PO and clerical post jobs and Specialist officers entrance examination which is conducted by the IBPS or the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection and,
- Bank Jobs being offered by the Private banks
The examination dates are generally announced sporadically and you can follow the official homepage of the banks and organisations to get the earliest information about the release of the application form.
The various bank job posts that are offered
While promotions come with the end of terms and performance of the employee, there are mainly three main posts that are offered by the banks. Let us take a look at them:
| The post offered | Duties to be undertaken |
| Probationary Officer or PO | This is a post that is offered by banks for Level 1 managerial jobs. Those who get hired for a probation period which is generally of two years will have to have information about the various departments of a bank, like, investments, balances and accounts. They will need to cater to the queries of the public and help them out in case of any difficulty. |
| Specialist Officer or SO | These are jobs which are related to the particular field like HR, IT etc and candidates are selected to the post, depending on the subject of their graduation. |
| Clerical posts | This post is mainly for candidates who are applying for clerical jobs and can help out the customers of the bank with any kind of help that they need. |
Learn all about the bank exams here.
It is very important to remember that there are eligibility criteria for each post of Bank Jobs that candidates ought to have. If you want to become a PO then you will have to be an undergraduate from a recognised university and be between 21-30 years of age. The same rule applies for SOs as well. There is an age relaxation of five years for reserved categories like SC, ST and OBC. In case you want to apply for the clerical job examination, you will have to have cleared your 10+2 examination from a recognised board of education and fall within the age bracket of 18-30 years. The same rule for age relaxation applies here as well.
Applying for the various bank examinations
All the major details about the bank examinations are put up on their websites and it is also the place from where you will be able to access your application form from. Once the application form has been filled up they will have to be submitted with payment of application fee. Once the application fee is paid, admit cards will be generated shortly with the date, time and venue of the examination of the candidate. The candidate will have to go to the mentioned venue for the Bank Jobs examination along with a photo ID proof.
Preparing for bank examinations
The pattern of preparation for most of the bank examinations is almost the same. There are generally three rounds of selection. First, the candidate will have to appear for a prelims section, then a mains section and finally a group interview as well as a personal interview. It is necessary for candidates to clear all these levels in order to become a probationary officer. For Specialist officers, an online test and an interview are done prior to selection.
For the prelims, section candidates will have to prepare themselves to answer 100 questions that will be based on English grammar, mathematical problem-solving skills and logical reasoning.
The mains for Bank Jobs examinations are a little tougher. Candidates will have to answer 200 questions which will be based on the three subjects mentioned above along with banking knowledge, general and current affairs and testing of the knowledge of your computer skills.
The GI and the PI are rounded which are totally based on your ability to learn and respond when faced with questions.
In order to prepare well for the written examinations, you will have to make sure that you get all the study material that you need and start solving previous years’ question papers.
