Bank Probationary Officer Job Description, Qualification, Salary, and Outlook

by Anurag G. Placementindia.com

Every year, around 4,000-6,000 candidates are selected and finalized for the post of bank PO after a series of several tests and interviews. And for these bank PO job vacancies, lakhs of bank job aspirants apply to become probationary officers in any public sector or private sector bank. It is a multitasking job that requires the person to use practically as well as theoretical knowledge to manage the operations, resolve customer complaints, supervise and verify the clerical works, approve loans etc., and build the image of the brand among the people. He/she works in various departments in the banking sector for the probation period of two years to gain as much knowledge as he/she can. If you are also planning to make your career as a bank PO, keep reading to know the job description, duties & responsibilities, eligibility, salary, and growth prospects in this field.

Bank Probationary Officer: A Quick Overview

Probationary officer is one of the most desired positions that anyone desiring to get into the banking sector aspires for. This white collar job offers a bright future and is very lucrative. Every year, hundreds and thousands of youngsters attempt the bank PO exams. While there are several banks that privately conduct their PO exams, the IBPS PO is one of the most popular bank PO exams. They are also called scale 1 officer as it is a Junior Management Grade-1 (JMG-Scale 1) officer job.

One who is selected for the bank PO job serves two years on probation. After the person has completed the two years’ probation period, he/she moves on to become the assistant manager at the bank whose exam he/she has cleared. During the probationary period, the selected candidate is exposed to various functions undertaken in the bank. These could be anything from advances, pension payments, loans, and foreign exchange to marketing, credit rating, and risk management.

Duties of a Bank Probationary Officer

Different banks list down different set of duties and responsibilities for their probationary officers. Usually, it revolves around the management of the daily functions and processes in the bank. They would also have to look into the daily activities of the branch and its regular public activities. They also monitor the everyday tasks of the bank like customer grievance resolving and handling customer transactions and loan approvals. Apart from that, here are some of the major duties and responsibilities of probationary officer in bank jobs:

Acts as a public relations officer and handles all the complaints or grievances of the customers visiting the bank. He also looks into any complaints regarding the services of the bank, rectification of any undue charges etc. This, in turn, enables the PO to improve and enhance the image of the bank.
A bank PO is entrusted with jobs in various categories marketing, accounting, financing, and billing. It instills practical knowledge in the candidate and empowers them to resolve issues while taking rational decisions in favor of the bank.
One of the important duties of a bank PO is to verify all the work that is performed by the banking clerks or other professionals in the bank job. They have to check and recheck all that is done by the clerk to ensure fair and error-free transactions.
They have to be well-versed with all the major changes or development steps taken by the management of the bank. They also need to ensure that all the workers in the branch are abiding by the rules and regulations set out by the bank management.
They have to monitor all the account-related activities like opening of new accounts, closure of old and dead accounts, chequebook issuance, etc.
Another important duty of a bank PO is to get more customers to join its bank and open account here. He/she handles several promotional activities of the bank and ensures business is flowing in all the time.

Eligibility Criteria For Probationary Officer

Knowing the eligibility criteria of the probationary officer is the most important. Not anyone is allowed to appear for bank PO exams. There is a strict eligibility criterion that needs to be taken care of before applying for the same.

The age limit for appearing for a bank PO exam is 21 years to 30 years. The SC and ST candidates get an age relaxation of 5 years while the OBC candidates get a relaxation of 3 years. Any person with a disability gets 10 years relaxation while ex-servicemen, J&K domicile, and those affected in 1984 riots also get 5 years relaxation.
The candidate should be a citizen of India, a subject of Bhutan or Nepal, or a permanent settled Tibetan refugee can apply for this exam. Those who have permanently settled in India but have origin from Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Burma, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Zaire can also appear to become bank probationary officers.
The candidate needs to have a graduation degree from any university that is recognized by the Central Government.
Written as well as verbal proficiency in the state/union territory’s language is a must.

Salary Of Probationary Officers

One of the first things that lure people towards getting a bank job is the salary package that it offers. The basic pay of any new entrant as a bank PO is Rs. 23,700 with an annual increment of Rs. 980 for 7 months. However, there are various allowances like Dearness Allowance, CCA, House Rent Allowance, and other special allowances are added to this basic salary and take the overall salary of a bank probationary officer around Rs. 39,000 to Rs. 42,000. This amount may vary according to the branch and the region of posting of the PO. On other designation appraisals and increments, the salary of a bank PO may also range between Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 80,000 a month.

Future Prospects For Probationary Officers

Probationary officer is one of the most reputed and respected bank jobs in India. Not only does it secure the present of the candidate but also offers great future prospects for a brighter career. Bank POs have many chances of getting promoted to higher managerial levels. The growth chart starts from getting promoted to deputy manager, then branch manager, then senior branch manager, then chief manager, then assistant general manager, then deputy general manager, and then finally general manager. Various internal exams are conducted, within the sector, which determine the promotion of a PO aka Assistant Manager.

Bank PO is one of the most looked out bank jobs in India. This position promises security and growth to the aspirants. One can join coaching classes to get prepared for this exam or even find online tutors and mentors on job portals like PlacementIndia.Com. These job portals will also keep you updated with bank PO recruitment notifications, dates for application, exam dates, etc. So, join them now and stay up to date.