How to Become a Probationary Officer: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Jobs, Scope, Salary

A good career in PO requires certain decisions that a student should wisely make. Some vital steps that an aspiring PO in the banking sector should follow are given below.

• Decision Making: Since PO is a very popular and respected professional field, students from all streams have great career prospects in this post. For aspiring POs, it is important to start planning a career right from the start for optimum results. Subject choices right from school and at graduation level should be done accordingly that can help the students with entrance tests for PO in the future.
• Subject Choices: PO posts accept students from all streams- Arts, Commerce, and Science. However, for their own benefits in preparing for entrance exams and later in the job, it is recommended that students keep Commerce-related subjects in their 10+2 and graduate degrees. This is not a mandatory step, but preferable.
• Entrance Exam Preparation: Students should be completely prepared for PO entrance exams. The performance in these exams decides whether a candidate will be selected for the job or not. There are multiple study materials and resources to prepare for PO exams at home. Practising question papers of previous years are important for good preparation.
• Selecting Correct Colleges: Selecting the right educational institution is a very vital step that would define a student’s educational background and qualification in their professional field as a PO. Students can do a degree of their choice like B.A./ B.B.A./ B. Com. or anything else in their preferred stream from good colleges that offer these courses.
• After Qualifying Exam: After qualifying for a bank PO exam, a candidate goes through a personal interview, followed by a training session. They are then posted for 2-years to a branch of the bank they applied to and start work as a professional PO.

Courses to Become a Probationary Officer

Bachelor of Arts

BA Course deals with a wide variety of subjects like BA Hindi, BA English and other language subjects, BA Economics, BA LLB, BA History, BA Geography etc. Candidates need to study 5 compulsory subjects, along with a few electives in Bachelor of Arts courses. BA Course subjects can be selected from a wide variety of options. 

Bachelor of Science

BSc, full form Bachelor of Science is a 3 year-long undergraduate course that students can pursue after class 12th. BSc full form in Latin is Baccalaureus Scientiae. BSc degree is the most popular among science courses after 12th and is offered in various specializations. 

Bachelor of Commerce

BCom is a 3-year UG program that focuses on subjects related to commerce and finance. BCom full-form is Bachelor of Commerce.

The BCom course is imparted in three categories, that are, BCom-General, BCom Honours, and BCom LLB. Both BCom General and BCom honours can be pursued from regular as well as BCom distance colleges. 

Types of Job Roles for a Probationary Officer

When a PO is selected, they are introduced to a number of job roles in a bank, hence they have a lot of diversity in choosing responsibilities. However, all the job profiles come with a lot of duties. Some major fields of work for POs in a bank are mentioned below:

1. A PO has to work in the Public Relations department as a Public Relations Manager. They have to look after customer complaints and address issues related to customers.
2. They have to manage cash flow, mortgages, loans and credits, and finances.
3. They have to look after loan-related documents and solve issues in this field whenever and as required.
4. A PO is also responsible to look after managerial work like supervising employees in the clerical cadre.

There are a number of areas of employment opportunities for a PO in various sectors of the bank:

• Government Sector: Government sector or Public sector banks hire Probationary Officers for managerial tasks in the bank. They look after the financial, marketing, budgeting, and loan processes in the banks. They work on a contractual basis for a fixed time period. They are also offered many allowances, benefits, and privileges as a Probationary Officer.
• Private Sector: Banks of the Private sector also hire Pos. The risk factors for POs at private sector banks are comparatively lesser than Government sector POs. Most of their responsibilities are the same as POs in the Government sector like managing finance, loan-credit issues, public relations, etc. They are also allowed to enjoy several allowances and benefits as a Probationary Officer.

How to Become a Probationary Officerin India?

Becoming a PO in India is one of the most profitable jobs. It requires candidates to sit for a PO entrance exam that is conducted in three steps- Preliminary, Main, and a Personal Interview.

The main topics in these exams are General Awareness and Banking Awareness. Students from all streams and educational backgrounds can apply for this career. However, it is always recommended to aspiring bank students to choose Commerce, Economics, Banking and Finance related subjects during their school level, graduation and postgraduation level qualifications. Students from such backgrounds find it easier to solve questions in PO exams and in all other fields of banking. The syllabus in PO entrance exams is mostly based on subjects and topics learned from class 5 to class 10. Apart from general and banking awareness, candidates must also have knowledge in quantitative aptitude and logical reasoning. The candidates must be well-versed in the English language.

PO jobs in India are taken up as a permanent career by many people. It is one of the most secure and comfortable jobs with a good pay scale and respect.

How to Clear Entrance Exam?

Every year hundreds of students across India sit for bank PO entrance exams. These exams are also attempted by many professionals who are full-time workers. Although it is a challenging exam, it is also very easy to clear a PO exam if some basic steps can be followed. Some tips for clearing the PO entrance exam are given below:

• Know the syllabus and topics thoroughly. Make sure you do not miss out on anything.
• Go for a diagnostic test to find out where your competition lies.
• Know your strength and your weakness and prepare a strategy accordingly to study.
• Apart from knowing the syllabus well, time accuracy is a big factor during the exam. Prepare a strategy for time management and how to solve questions, so that there is no wastage of time on the day of the exam.
• Understand the exam pattern very well. Go through question papers of previous years and solve mock test papers available on the internet. There is also ample study material available on the net.
• Make a routine and follow that every day to keep achieving daily targets. This is very beneficial for completing the entire syllabus.
• Practice is the key to success. Keep practising as much as you can every day. Treat every topic for the exam with equal importance. Be confident and steady on the day of the exam.

Benefits of Career as a Probationary Officer

• A Probationary Officerworks on new challenges every day. The experience and knowledge that they gain during their work are immense.
• The post of a PO is one of the most secure jobs. It gives time flexibility throughout the day that is comparatively a lot better than many other jobs. It is a very stable and respected job in terms of salary.
• The profession helps improve communication skills and the ability to interact with common people and solve issues.
• The job allows a number of benefits and allowances. POs can claim their compensations and other corporate benefits whenever required fairly more than other firms and professions.
• The position of PO enjoys a lot of holidays and travel allowances as compared to most other private organizations and work fields. This helps in maintaining like and work balance.
• The post helps in increasing exposure and learning a lot more about various fields in the banking sector. This helps in personal as well as professional growth.

Skills Required for Career as a Probationary Officer

There are a set of skills that are sought in a Probationary Officeror any student aspiring to be in the banking sector. Some of them are listed below:

• Problem Solving and Analytical Skills
• Good Communication Skills
• Time Management Ability
• Leadership Qualities
• Visionary Skills and Ability to Look into Details
• Quick Learning Ability
• Proactive and Positive Attitude
• Good Interpersonal and Team Coordination Skills
• Ability to Work Under Pressure
• Multi-tasking Skills
• Good Mathematical Skills