Category: Career

Banking operations is that department of a bank that is responsible for the daily legal transactions of a bank like providing loans, mortgages and investments, depending on the focus and size of the bank. One of the most important functions of the operations department is to control and manage the trade processes of a bank and of the other branches of that bank. Since there are thousands of transactions taking place every second, this job has become incredibly complex.

Banking operations is a booming career option as it is expected that in the coming years banks would be on a hiring spree. Operations, as a function, requires specialized knowledge and domain expertise and this department is often viewed as the engine of the bank. Yet there is a serious shortage of candidates with the right skillsets. There are currently over 5,300 vacancies for Branch and Bank Operations professionals on Naukri (Sept, 2016), proving that the demand is outpacing the available supply.

Job Roles:
Job roles on offer include Branch Banking Officer, Front Office Sales Executives or Customer Relationship Managers in Executive to Managerial positions in the following types of organizations:

• Leading private sector banks like Axis Bank, ING Vysya Bank, HDFC, Kotak, Indus Ind
• Non-Bank Finance companies like Alankit, India Bulls, Muthoot Finance etc.
• Insurance companies like HDFC Life, Aviva, Max New York
• Finance companies like IndiaInfoline, Anand Rathi and Motillal Oswal

Average Salaries:

• Loan Officer: Rs 178266 pa
• Customer Service Executive: Rs 276660 pa
• Bank Officer: Rs 333,668 pa
• Branch Operations Manager: Rs. 621794 pa

[Source: Payscale, Indeed; Sept 2016]

Imarticus Learning is proud to announce the launch of its Branch Operations program. This program includes comprehensive coverage of the frameworks and processes governing the Operations function in the Banking industry and covers a wide range of topics relevant to the Banking Operations function such as Finance and Accounting basics, the Indian Banking and Financial system, banking services, branch operations, rural banking, security, role of technology in banking as well as ethics and regulatory frameworks that underpin the banking sector, along with dedicated modules on banking software, personal development, and customer service excellence to create truly well-rounded professionals ready to enter the workforce.

Authored by Zenobia Sethna

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More women than men start out in Financial Services but, as they progress, the majority fall out, especially at middle management level, when other priorities like family and kids beckon. This leaves almost all of the top jobs in the hands of men. According to a PWC global report in 2013, women comprise nearly 60% of employees in the financial services industry, but only 19% progress through the leadership ranks to senior level roles.

The few that do break through and assume senior leadership positions usually take the firm to new heights of success. Meet the top three most influential women that are at the helm of India’s leading banks.

Arundhati Bhattacharya

Arundhati is Chair-managing director of one of the Big Four banks of India, State Bank of India, and listed as the 30^th Most Powerful Woman in the world by Forbes in 2015. Arundhati has been with SBI for over 4 decades, and her loyal services was rewarded when SBI made her the  youngest and the first female chairperson She also introduced a two-year sabbatical policy for women in the company, which will help women at SBI have a better work life balance. A true role model for all.

Wise Words: The greatest lesson I have learnt is that you have to create a good reputation for yourself for people to appreciate you.

 

Chanda Kochhar

CEO and Managing Director of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar is one of the success pillars of the retail business of the bank in India. Under her watchful eye, ICICI Bank has grown in scale and has won numerous awards including Best Retail Bank in India, thanks in no small part to the many initiatives she has taken to simplify and diversify banking.

Forbes listed Chanda Kochhar as 35th most powerful women in the word in 2015. She has been with for ICICI Bank for 30 years and has proved herself as a strong leader not just in India, but also globally.

Wise Words: I chose to be a working wife and mother. Why should I compromise on either?

Shikha Sharma

Shikha is CEO and Managing Director of India’s largest bank (assets) in the private sector, Axis Bank. With more than three decades of experience in the financial sector, she has worked for big institutions including ICICI Bank and JP Morgan & Co.

As Shikha joined Axis Bank in 2009, the bank’s stock upsurged by 90% and its assets grew by 30% in the financial year 2012-13. A leader adept at dealing with change, she has focused on transforming Axis Bank into a bank with strengths across a wide range of Corporate and Retail Banking products.

Wise Words: You should do things that you believe in. There has to be a fine balance between listening to people and taking decisions.

 

Imarticus Learning is pleased to announce that we are now in Gurugram, NCR (erstwhile Gurgaon) to further its vision to become India’s leading player in Finance and Analytics professional education and add to its growing presence in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Jaipur. We are honored to have the center opened by Jayant Krishna, Chief Executive Officer, National Skill Development Corporation. Imarticus learning has been working closely with NSDC to ensure program curriculum meets both the needs of corporate India as well as fulfilling Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of skill development across India.

One of the many reasons students attend an Imarticus course is to change the course of their career. Take Ami  for instance. She came to us with a Masters in Engineering having never worked in finance and left us with a job with Gravitas, a leading financial services firm focused on the research. It’s not easy and entails a lot of work but Ami was extremely focused. She constantly engaged with faculty to ensure proper learning. Ami’s success proves that there’s nothing to beat a combination of hard work, ambition and the right course. It’s been about six months or so now and we caught up with Ami and had a quick chat on how she was doing.

1. Tell us something about what you do now? What does your new job entail?

“I work as a credit research analyst at Gravitas Technology Pvt Ltd, which is one of the leading service providers to the alternative investment industry. My new job entails building and maintaining financial models from a credit perspective and drafting my research findings and observations for credit focused clients.”

2. What do you enjoy most about your new job?

“Since I am doing project-based assignments for the clients at Gravitas, I get to analyze a variety of public and private companies of various sizes and sectors.”

3. Walk us through a normal day at Gravitas?

“A normal day at Gravitas would involve a typical credit analysis of a company which would include:

• Industry analysis, company analysis, Key ratio analysis, Fundamental credit analysis (e.g. making a capital structure table, leverage analysis), Writing about the Credit outlook of the company

If available, I also read the company reports published by the top credit rating agencies like Moodys, S&P, Fitch as I get to understand their methodology in assigning a particular credit rating to the company. I also read initiating coverage reports of public companies as it helps me better understand the company’s business and the risks involved.”

4. What was your favourite subject at Imarticus and why?

“My favourite subject at Imarticus was Equity Research. We got started by learning the basics of equity research, the different types of equity research reports, how to analyze an industry and company, financial analysis and finally writing an equity research report. This helped me tremendously even in my role as a credit research analyst as it taught me financial statement analysis and also basics of industry and company analysis.”

5. How has Imarticus contributed to you in your new role? Which subjects have been most useful?

“I would give most of the credit in my new role to Imarticus for aiding a non-finance graduate, like myself, to secure a job as a credit research analyst in about 4 months. They started by teaching accounting basics, learning about company valuation, writing an initiating coverage report and delivering a M&A pitch presentation, all in a matter of months. All subjects in the IFAP course have helped me in my career so far in some way or the other-so it is hard to pick out a subject which hasn’t been useful. The curriculum is well designed for any new person who is venturing into the world of finance.”

6. How do you relax?

“I unwind by meeting my friends or by spending quality time with my family over the weekend.”

7. Any resolutions for 2015?

• ” To successfully clear the CFA Level 1 examination in June 2015
• To further my skills in financial analysis
• To have a healthy, fun-filled year”

8. What advice would you give to current students in the IFAP program?

I would advise them the following:

• Take advantage of the resources at Imarticus (e.g. Experienced faculty, training in soft skills)
• Don’t procrastinate and rely on the class lectures alone to ace the course. Since this is a short course, it will involve a lot of self-study from your side
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions”

If you are interested in making a lateral career shift to financial services, please come talk to us at Imarticus Learning. We offer free counseling sessions.

The oil industry, with its history of booms and busts, appears to be in the early stages of its latest downturn. The price of oil has plunged in recent months, reaching its lowest point in more than five years.  Read more

One of the many reasons students attend an Imarticus course is to change the course of their career. Take Ami  for instance. She came to us with a Masters in Engineering having never worked in finance and left us with a job with Gravitas, a leading financial services firm focused on the research. It’s not easy and entails a lot of work but Ami was extremely focused. She constantly engaged with faculty to ensure proper learning. Ami’s success proves that there’s nothing to beat a combination of hard work, ambition and the right course. It’s been about six months or so now and we caught up with Ami and had a quick chat on how she was doing.
1. Tell us something about what you do now? What does your new job entail?
“I work as a credit research analyst at Gravitas Technology Pvt Ltd, which is one of the leading service providers to the alternative investment industry. My new job entails building and maintaining financial models from a credit perspective and drafting my research findings and observations for credit focused clients.”
2. What do you enjoy most about your new job?
“Since I am doing project-based assignments for the clients at Gravitas, I get to analyze a variety of public and private companies of various sizes and sectors.”
3. Walk us through a normal day at Gravitas?
“A normal day at Gravitas would involve a typical credit analysis of a company which would include:
• Industry analysis, company analysis, Key ratio analysis, Fundamental credit analysis (e.g. making a capital structure table, leverage analysis), Writing about the Credit outlook of the company
If available, I also read the company reports published by the top credit rating agencies like Moodys, S&P, Fitch as I get to understand their methodology in assigning a particular credit rating to the company. I also read initiating coverage reports of public companies as it helps me better understand the company’s business and the risks involved.”
4. What was your favorite subject at Imarticus and why?
“My favorite subject at Imarticus was Equity Research. We got started by learning the basics of equity research, the different types of equity research reports, how to analyze an industry and company, financial analysis and finally writing an equity research report. This helped me tremendously even in my role as a credit research analyst as it taught me financial statement analysis and also basics of industry and company analysis.”
5. How has Imarticus contributed to you in your new role? Which subjects have been most useful?
“I would give most of the credit in my new role to Imarticus for aiding a non-finance graduate, like myself, to secure a job as a credit research analyst in about 4 months. They started by teaching accounting basics, learning about company valuation, writing an initiating coverage report and delivering a M&A pitch presentation, all in a matter of months. All subjects in the IFAP course have helped me in my career so far in some way or the other-so it is hard to pick out a subject which hasn’t been useful. The curriculum is well designed for any new person who is venturing into the world of finance.”
6. How do you relax?
“I unwind by meeting my friends or by spending quality time with my family over the weekend.”
7. Any resolutions for 2015?
•” To successfully clear the CFA Level 1 examination in June 2015
• To further my skills in financial analysis
• To have a healthy, fun-filled year”
8. What advice would you give to current students in the IFAP program?
“I would advise them the following:
• Take advantage of the resources at Imarticus (e.g. Experienced faculty, training in soft skills)
• Don’t procrastinate and rely on the class lectures alone to ace the course. Since this is a short course, it will involve a lot of self-study from your side
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions”
If you are interested in making a lateral career shift to financial services, please come talk to us at Imarticus Learning. We offer free counseling sessions.

We, at Imarticus Learning, are in the business of offering top-notch vocational training in the fields of finance, business and analytics. This could include management training for banks, securities and derivatives training and courses with a certification in banking roles. But let’s face it: these subjects can be rather difficult and taxing! How do you engage with and retain the interest of the learner over a period of many months? What makes learning effective?

Domain experts who know the subject-matter are only one half of the equation. The other half is the execution – that is, conveying information in an interesting, relevant and timely manner.

Imarticus Learning has a unique combination of in-house subject matter expertise as well as qualified instructional designers who bring the content to life.

Who are Instructional Designers and what do they do?

Just as graphic designers define and manage the visual strategy, instructional designers control the learning strategy and all the text that you see in any training. They work in the background to make complex content more appealing and digestible.

Why Instructional Design?

The goal is to create memorable learning experiences, which results in more effective and efficient knowledge transfer between teacher and learner.

The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating some “intervention” to assist in the transition.

How do you go about creating instructionally-sound training?

The key is to understand the science of learning – that is, how do learners learn? There are many theories but Gagne’s Instructional Theory is the most widely used model.
According to Gagne, learning occurs in a series of learning events. Each learning event must be accomplished before the next, in order for learning to take place. Accordingly, any learning intervention should mirror these nine learning events:

We follow this model at Imarticus Learning, and so can you! Our instructional designers at our centres in Mumbai and elsewhere use these principles to design our courses to coach you for your investment banking careers, including our courses for working professionals.

Got a presentation to deliver to your boss? Keep in mind the above nine points and then structure your presentation accordingly.