A bank probationary officer is the starting level for class I officers in banking sector. The candidates are selected through written examination followed by GD and Interview. Probationary officers are trained to work in different functions such as admin, operations, accounts, marketing, finance, investment, etc. Thereafter candidates are posted as Asst Manager in any of the bank branches. Industry estimates suggest 20,000 to 50,000 PO vacancies every year in the first half of this decade. The current demand is like a dream come true for the government job aspirants.
The sudden surge in PO offerings has created a rush amongst aspirants, who are adopting shortcuts for cracking the written exam. Most of them forget that PO selection criterion is designed for selecting the most eligible candidates for a banking JOB. Therefore, many fail even after having a good score in the written exam, due to limited awareness of banking and finance. RBI has recommended the public sector banks to give preference to candidates having professional qualifications in banking and allied fields. According to Mr Amit Goyal, training director TKWs Institute of Banking & Finance “Aspirants must learn about banking operations & laws, financial environment, instruments of taxation & retail banking to be able to make a successful career in both private as well as public sector banks”.
Joining a banking course acts as a doubled edged sword for candidates determined to make a career in Banking. On one hand the student acquires right qualification and knowledge to crack the PO interviews while on the other a fall back option is created in form of several private sector banks.
Right time for Preparation
A background in commerce is not a requirement and hence students from all fields can get a BANK JOB. Sooner the preparations start, higher is the chance to succeed. Ideally, students should start preparing themselves right