Job Prospects in Indian Banking Sector

Job Prospects in Indian Banking Sector

The Banking sector is now in a mood to absorb more people and 36 lakh people applied for 11,000 clerical posts in SBI.

A decade-and-a-half earlier, a job in any nationalized bank was considered to be a coveted position. But, presently the demand has lost its sheen to a great extent, thanks to the boom in the IT and IT enabled sectors.. The banking sector is also responsible to some extent, for the fading demand. Firstly, the young minds saw a better prospect in the IT sector and secondly the banks lessened their recruitment, as they were in the process of technological up gradation.

On the hand the banks wanted the existing staff to quickly get inti the high-end technical groove, and on the other hand they got rid of the people who were reluctant to upgrade, through the voluntary retirement schemes. Now they seem to be in a mood to absorb people in large numbers and even the mindset of the people appears to be moving back to the reliable banking sector.

The very fact that 36-lakh people applying for the 11,000 clerical posts in State Bank of India, stands testimony to the change in mood. To accommodate all aspirants, the bank has spread out the examination over three dates: Nov 8,15 and 22, across four centers in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupathi.

Basically, the entry points in the banking sector are: Probationary Officers and clerical staff. With the abolishment of BSRB(Ranking Services Recruitment Board ) in 2001, the banks have earned autonomy for their HR and recruitment departments. Tough the basic rules of the tests and interviews remain more or less the same, from bank to bank, the variations are found in eligibility norms, age relaxations and paper setting.

The papers are basically again divided into two formats: SBI and its associate banks (there are six of them) and other nationalised banks(there are 19 of them).

In the case of SBI and its associate banks there are five objective type papers: General Awareness, reasoning ability, quantitative aptitude, English and marketing and computers. Each section would have 40 questions with the one mark per question and time frame would be 135 mins. This would be followed by a n interview in the ratio 1:3 for successful candidates.

For the other Nationalized banks the examination would comprise: Numerical ability, reasonong, English, clerical aptitude test and one descriptive paper.

The age limit is 18 to 28 years and the minimum qualification is 60 percent in 10+2 or any degree.

Distinctive Patterns:

This again has two distinctive patters: SBI and its associate banks and the other nationalized banks.

SBI and its associate banks ; The examination pattern is divided into three phases.

• Test of Reasonong, English, general awareness and quantitative aptitude.
• Reasoning, English, data interpretation, marketing and computer knowledge and one descriptive paper comprising of short essay, letter writing and precise writing.
• And, Interview and group discussion.

Other Nationalized banks conducts one objective paper comprising English, test of reasoning, general awareness and quantitative aptitude.

The objective paper followed by a descriptive paper like that of the SBI paper.

While, the clerical staff are recruited based upon the vacancies in the perspective states , probationary officers recruited with a national portfolio.