Career As A Bank Probationary Officer: Know Why You Should Become A Bank PO

About A Bank Probationary Officer (PO)

A Probationary Officer (PO) Is Someone Responsible For Looking After The Overall Management System Of A Bank Or A Company Associated With The Banking Sector. A Probationary Officer (PO) Is An Entry-level Employee In A Bank Appointed To Handle The Overall Banking Management Within The Banking Sector. Probationary Officers Join The Bank At A Junior Level. During The Probation Period, They Need To Work In An Entry-level Office In The Bank For Two Years, And Later They Are Promoted To Assistant Managers Of Scale 1.

So, Suppose Someone Is Interested In The Banking Sector And Can Take Up Financial And Accounting Responsibilities. In That Case, They Can Opt For The Job Of A Bank Probationary Officer. One Can Acquire The Post By Clearing The Designated Banking Entrance Exams Designed Explicitly For Selected Bank PO. Along With An Individual's Professional Growth, Employment Opportunities Are Also High.

Role Of A Bank Probationary Officer (PO)

Multi-tasking Is A Part Of The Career Of A Bank Probationary Officer. They Assist Their Branch Manager In Every Financial Domain, Including Administrative Jobs, Managing The Duties Of The Branch Manager In His Absence, Routine Functions, Settlement Of Claims, And Recovery Management. One Needs To Choose According To Their Priority From The List Of Several Departments In The Banking Industry Like Foreign Exchange, Clearing, And Risk Management. Some Of The Core Responsibilities Of A Bank PO Are Mentioned Below -

Handling Of Cash

One Of The Essential Roles Of A Probationary Officer Is Managing The Banks' Cash. As There Is A Considerable Burden And Obligation On The Clerks, Multiple Governments In The Country Have Taken The Initiative To Assign This Role To The PO. They Have A Temporary Open Counter To Distribute Cash Deposits And Withdrawals Within The Bank Premises. Some Banks Also Give Them To Maintain The ATMs In A Particular Area.

Customer Service

The Regular Duties Of A Bank Probationary Officer Are To Manage The Appointments With Customer Care, Provide All The Details To The Clients That The Bank Has Ordered, Create A New Account, Help Existing Customers With Their ATM Cards, Manage Loans And Withdrawals, Provide Cheque Books.

Reporting And Verification

The Bank Probationary Officer Helps Create New Bank Accounts And Closes Them Every Day To Meet The Banking Operations. They Register Into The Database Using The Bank Information And Print Out Documents, Confirm Transactions And Report If There Is Any Discrepancy. They Need To Submit And Check The Financial Records To The National And Zonal Offices Regularly.

Promoting Business

The Bank Probationary Officer Is Obliged To Ensure The Proper Implementation Of Different Products And Programmes To The Customers. They May Also Need To Meet Customers And Organisations To Promote Schemes As The Public Banking Industry Generally Does Not Have Any Marketing Or Advertising Departments To Earn Profit For The Bank.

Payment Clearance

Generally, Bank Clerks Are Responsible For Money Transactions And Payments. Still, In Some Instances Where Cheque, Demand Draft, National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) Or Real-time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Are Involved, Then They Need To Take The Approval Of A Bank Probationary Officer. They Often Solve The Difficulties Of A Bank Clerk During Any Transaction.

Types Of Bank Probationary Officer

A Bank PO Has Several Sub-disciplines. Candidates Aspiring To Have A Career In Banking Or The Finance Industry Can Opt For Alternative Jobs As A BPO.

Account Clerks – The Job Of Account Clerks Is To Enter And File Records And Update And Check Accounts Using Computers, Ledgers And Software For Accounting. They Can Either Use Their Software After A Training Session Or Use Standard Generic Software.
Administrative Assistant – The Role Of An Administrative Assistant Is To Handle And Transmit Information Within The Office. Usually, It Involves Answering Telephones, Writing Notes And Managing Financial Documents. Sometimes They Are Also Responsible For Addressing And Assisting Customers.
Bank Clerk – The Role Of A Bank Clerk Is To Process Customer Transactions And Answer Clients' Questions. They Also Direct Customers To Bank Personnel And Help Them Verify Their Personal Or Financial Data While Opening A New Bank Account. They Also Support Cash Management Activities.
Insurance Analyst – One Of The Best Jobs In The Banking Sector Is An Insurance Analyst. They Are Responsible For Conducting And Assessing Various Insurance Policies And Determining Associated Risks For Insurance Companies And Policyholders. They Review Insurance Applications To Check If The Client Gives All The Essential Information.
Cashier – The Role Of A Cashier Is To Help Customers In The Process Of In-store Checkout. Their Primary Responsibilities Include Ringing Up Transactions, Uploading Goods, Applying For Pricing Information, Accepting Discounts, Receiving Payments And Making Necessary Adjustments.
Credit Manager – A Credit Manager Is Responsible For Helping Individuals Manage The Process Of Obtaining Loans From A Financial Company. They Also Help In Finding A Payment Scheme For Borrowers.
Insurance Officer – As An Insurance Officer, They Review The Insurance Claims To Decide On Their Compensation And Worthiness. They Operate For Many Insurance Firms, From Medical Insurance To Car Insurance Firms.

Few Work-related Questions For A Bank Probationary Officer

Work Environment – The Bank Probationary Officers Must Have A Formal Code. No Work From Home Option Is Available For Them. The Career Of A Bank PO Is Rewarding With Progressions And Promotions In Banking Sectors. Numerous Opportunities Are Available For Employment As Well As Personal Growth.
Travelling – The Work Of A Bank PO Is Mainly Clerical, So It Does Not Involve Travelling.
Employment Shifts – Full-time, For A Bank PO, The Banking Hours Are Fixed, Generally From 10:00 Am To 5:00 Pm, Although The Working Hours Can Vary During The End Of The Financial Year.
Employment Nature – The Job Of A Bank PO Is Always Permanent. They Work In A Bank Branch And Are Open To Further Promotions To Senior Roles.
Presence In Geographical Area – The Bank PO Can Be Appointed To Any Bank Location In Urban, Suburban And Rural Areas. A Bank Branch Is Located In All Areas Of Human Populations. Sometimes, Work Can Be Tiring If Posted In Metro Cities, Head Offices Or Regional Offices Where The Workload Is Relatively Higher Than The Other Branches.
Time Pressure – During The End Of Tax Months Or Financial Years, The Time Pressure Increases Considerably. In Such Situations, A Bank Probationary Officer Must Work Overtime.

How To Become A Bank Probationary Officer?

Clear 10+2 – Although There Is No Specific Subject Requirement For A Career As A Bank PO, Students Aspiring To Join The Banking Sectors Usually Opt For Commerce Subjects At The 10+2 Level. Students Need To Pass 10+2 Classes From A Recognised Board With An Aggregate Of 50% Of Marks.
Entrance Examination – Aspiring Students Must Complete Their Graduation To Appear For The Bank PO Exam. A Minimum Of 50 Per Cent Is Required For The Same.

Major Entrance Examinations –

IPU CET: Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test
BHU UET: Banaras Hindu University Undergraduate Entrance Test
JMI EE: Jamia Millia Islamia Entrance Examination
AMU EE: Aligarh Muslim University Entrance Examination

Famous Bank PO(Probationary Officer) Examinations

IBPS (Institute Of Banking Personnel Selection) PO
IBPS Clerk Examination Is Conducted To Recruit Clerks In Public Sector Banks, Co-operative Banks, Private Banks, And Regional Rural Banks.
SBI (State Bank Of India) PO
Nainital Bank PO
Federal Bank PO
Karnataka Bank PO
Karur Vysya Bank PO
South Indian Bank PO
Bank Of Maharashtra PO
HDFC Bank PO

Post-Bachelors – After Completing Bachelor's Degree, One Can Further Continue Their Studies And Complete Their Master's Programme Without Any Gap In The Academic Year. They Can Give Entrance Exams To Join Different Industries As The Bank PO. One Can Also Specialise During Their Bachelor's Degree, And They Can Prepare For Bank PO Examinations.

Top Institutes:

Students Need Good Probationary Officer Training From The Best Institutes In The Country. Some Of Them Are Listed Down Below:-

Career Launcher
Mahendra's
Institute Of Banking Training
Career Power
Paramount Coaching Centre
BSC Academy
KD. Campus
Excel SSC Coaching
Irish Academy

Skills Needed To Become A Bank Probationary Officer

There Are Several Skillsets Required To Establish A Career As A Bank PO. These Skills Are Crucial For Progressing After The PO Role. You Can Get Promoted From Probation Officer's Role To Assistant Bank Manager If You Fulfil The Minimum Eligibility Requirements. We Have Mentioned Below The Probationary Officer Skillsets To Work Efficiently In The Banking Sector.

Commercial Awareness:

A Career As A Bank PO Requires The Ability To Understand Worldwide Financial Patterns And Potential Market Developments Seems To Be What Defines An Influential Banker From An Unsuccessful Banker. And Besides, This Might Be Necessary To Predict Where Economic Trends Will Arise To Either Enhance Or Protect A Specific Region In The Bank's Business. It's Also Important To Recognise How Companies Function In The Corporate World And What Influences Them, Specifically If A Probationary Officer Works Directly With Them.

Determination:

Corporate Banking Is An Excessively Harsh And Demanding Climate In Which Probationary Officers Might Have To Resolve Many Challenges On Their Path From Excellent Students To Experienced Probationary Officers. Consequently, Probationary Officers Will Have To Be Intensely Determined To Excel, Though It Means Working Extra Hours And Making Compromises In Their Individual Lives.

Work Ethics:

Investment Banking Is Not Just For The Unmotivated Or The Unproductive Ones. The Shifts Can Sometimes Be Long And Exhausting. Still, The Banks Have Very Little Motivation To Remove This Extreme Culture Due To Concerns Regarding The Current Company's Lack Of Employment-life Balance. In The Career As A Bank PO, One Is Expected To Drive Themselves To The Limits To Be Successful, Specifically In The First Five Years Of Their Career.

Technical Skills:

Businesses In The Modern Age Require Most Of The Transactions That Probationary Officers Make Based On Statistical Analysis. Hence, To Have Access To And Analyse The Information, Communicate With Several Other Investors, Find Out More Information, And Conduct Virtually Almost Every Activity That Individuals In A Career As Bank PO Might Need In A Regular Working Day, They Also Need To Be Tech-savvy. Bankers Work With Several Advanced Software. Therefore, Take Every Opportunity To Experience Almost As Much As They Can Throughout Internships.

Communication Skills:

Communication Is A Fundamental Professional Strength, And The Banking Industry Is No Exception. Communicating To Non-financial Clients Complicated Financial Concepts Or Processes, Composing And Preparing Reports, Or Practising To Connect Effectively At The Management Level Can Significantly Affect The Development Of Your Profession. When Probationary Officers Enter The Banking Sector, They Must Also Ensure That Their Interaction Skills Have Improved And Are Up To The Mark. They Can Clearly And Confidently Demonstrate The Instructions.

Attention To Detail:

Another Requirement For The Banking Sector Is A Keen Eye For Observation, Whether To Observe Unique Patterns Or Operations That No One Else Has Or Generates Detailed Financial Documents For Higher Management. However, Many Financial Positions Require The Ability To Recognise Oddities Or, More Importantly, Errors.

Certifications And Internships That Are Helpful To Becoming Bank PO

The Following Certificates Are Also Available For Students.

Banking Certification Courses
Banking And Insurance Certification Courses
Banking And Finance Certification Courses
Investment Banking Certification Courses
Finance And Accounting Certification Courses
Finance Certification Courses
Udemy Banking Certification Courses
Edx Banking Certification Courses

Internships

A Bank Probationary Officer Is A Trainee-level Job Considered An Internship. Here One Gets Promoted To The Position Of An Assistant Manager After Completing The Internship.

Bank Probationary Officer (PO) Salaries

Job Designation	Average Monthly Salary (in INR)	Starting Salary (in INR)	Junior Level Salary (in INR)	Senior Level Salary (in INR)
Account Clerk	30,000	20000	20000	50000
Credit Officer	30000	25000	25000	60000
Assistant Bank Manager	38000	34000	34000	79000
Assistant General Bank Manager	108000	-	-	-
Deputy General Bank Manager	167000	45000	47000	181000

Top Recruiters Of Bank Probationary Officers

State Bank Of India
Yes Bank Ltd.
Punjab National Bank
ICICI Bank Limited
HDFC Bank Ltd.
Kotak Mahindra Bank

Career Prospect Of Bank Probationary Officer

One Of The Fastest-growing Financial Industries In India Is The Banking Sector. Aspiring Individuals Can Prepare From The Previous Year's Bank PO Examination Syllabus. There Is Enormous Growth In The Career Of Bank PO. A Bank PO Can Become A General Manager After Years Of Experience And Clearing The Exams For Promotion On Each Level. A Bank PO Gets Off Each Sunday And Second And Fourth Saturdays. The Working Hours Of Working Saturdays Are Less Compared To Regular Working Days. They Get Off On All The Public Holidays. They Also Get 12 Bank Holidays And State Holidays.

A Word From TheCareerHub

The Career Hub Is A Platform Which Provides Complete Guidance On A Particular Career To Students. A Student Needs To Understand All The Career Options And Decide Based On The Job Prospects. They Should Also Be Aware Of The Skills Required To Succeed In Their Chosen Course Of Study. All Such Information Is Available On The Career Hub Website For Different Career Paths Starting From Electrical Engineer, Physician To Ayurvedic Doctor, Baker; One Can Find Them All.