Why choose bank job after engineering? How to answer in interview?

This is the most asked question in interviews for banking jobs for engineering graduate freshers. Similar to the question "Why MBA after B.E. or B.Tech" that we've discussed a lot on this forum, this is a very important question that one needs to prepare for when going for any banking sector interview.

Traditionally, it is believed that bank jobs are taken up either by commerce graduates or MBA degree holders. However, with the sheer amount of engineers that India is producing year after year, that picture has changed quite a lot in the last decade. More and more engineers readily choose banking jobs straight out of their engineering college.

The straight-forward answer to that is either one of these two or both:
1. Banking career in India is secure.
2. Banks offer better salary package over other sectors.

Even if you have a third option in mind already, you need to be able to put it very clearly before the interviewer. Many applicants aren't very sure of why they are going into a banking sector job, so I advise that you take time out before the interview to write down what a career in banking means to you and why you are a perfect fit for the said position in the bank.

Here are some of the points that I think should come in handy for any engineer preparing for bank interview.

I chose a banking job after engineering because:

1. Changing with times, banks have been fastest to adopt new technologies. As an engineer, I keep myself up-to-date with latest trends in technology sector.
2. ATMs, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Credit/Debit Card Management all these departments need engineers.
3. Engineers have really good mathematics & analytical skills - something that the job demands.
4. If applicable to your profile, you can talk about leadership. How you organised events at college level or at internship level. Banks need leaders in every department.
5. Communication Skills. A must for any banker. You need to quote real life examples from your experience at college and extra-curricular activities that helped you build really good communication skills.
6. Stability IT/Core Engineering jobs are highly unstable. If I am looking for a stable career option that pays well, banking offers really good options.
7. Perks at a bank job are really attractive for me as an engineer looking for a long-term stay. For eg: Cheaper loans, Accommodation facilities, Fuel for vehicles, LTC or LFC etc.
8. Banks have a fair selection process that relies heavily on merit. You can prove it to the interviewer that your technical know-how coupled with analytical skills are perfect for the bank job.
9. Every bank today has an Information Technology department. You can learn software used in bank (at least the basics) and that will come in really handy.
For eg: Finacle, BANCS, Flex Cube are the various leading software used in banks. As an engineer, it should be easy to train yourself in any one of those.
10. Last but not the least: Let the interviewer know that you are in this for the long-ride. Banks suffer from high attrition rates and most employees frequently shift their jobs. If you convince the interviewer that you don't like job-hopping (Something that's prevalent in IT sector), you increased your chances of getting selected.

Inviting opinions and suggestions from all engineers on this. If you are applying for a bank job as an engineer, do feel free to ask your questions below. Posted in: #Career Help

For additional reading, refer this discussion:
https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/can-engineers-be-in-bank-jobs.57334/

Long back some of my friends got into banking. They had to evaluate technical aspects of projects that had applied for loans. They had to use all their engineering competence for this.

@A.V.Ramani Thank you for sharing that. I am sure it will be reassuring for many aspirants. I am now looking to make a list of positions in a bank that one can prepare for. I haven't yet found any concrete easily accessible information about this. If anyone here has applied to bank jobs, please share a list of positions where engineers are eligibly to apply.

@Satya Swaroop Dash Could you share some light on the exams that engineering graduates can take for a bank job and what are the positions available these days?

First of all thanks, Ankita for posting a detailed answer for the topic and like you asked here are the details about opening in banks.

Every year the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts its CWE PO/MT exam for job openings in over 25 PSU banks. This is the exam that every one aspires for because the more lucrative positions in SBI, which organises its own exam has a few openings. In the CWE PO/MT exam there are over 15000 posts for grabs from different banks and its application process ended just a few days ago.

Engineers who are interested in taking jobs in their own domain should concentrate for the CWE Specialists Officers exam that is held in January and positions are available for Computer Science, Electrical and Mechanical streams. These jobs pay good and over a stress-free stable career growth. In this exam about a 1000 posts are up for grabs. Experienced engineers can also apply for higher positions through this exam.

@Satya Swaroop Dash Thank you for the detailed information.

For the uninitiated, could you share answers to 3 more questions?

1. What is the full form of CWE and what topics does one need to prepare?
2. What kind of work/responsibilities/position is offered to Computer Science, Electrical and Mechanical engineers?
3. What is the starting salary after clearing CWE?

i am an engineer, i had applied for IBPS RRB assistant i.e. clerk.and cleared the exam (CWE=common written exam). interviews will be held in month of nov. my question is if i m asked being B.E why did you apply for assistant post ? in this what could be the positive answers or convincing answers?? plz reply

@ankita_b Tell us what answer would you like to give to that question depending on your academic background. We will suggest corrections if needed.

mam please guide me.i am an electrical engineer, i had applied for IBPS RRB assistant i.e. clerk.and cleared the exam (CWE=common written exam). interviews will be held in month of nov. my question is if i m asked being B.E why did you apply for assistant post ? in this what could be the positive answers or convincing answers?? plz reply
My answer to this question is suppose if start preparation for technical exams i've to prepare lots of subjects and will take time where as if i prepare for the banking sector it will take not much time as it will take for the preparation for technical exams and there is a great opportunities and career growth will be more because today banking industry is spreading each and every nook and corner of our country. So this is the reason why i prefer to join the bank.


please suggest me maam any corrections required for this
my mail id abbu.1702@gmail.com

I am an engineer, I had applied for CWE PO Mains 2015 and cleared the exam. My question is : Being a technical background, Should Panel members asked me questions from technical background deeply ?
What should be the best answer for choosing bank after completing B.E. ?

Khilesh kumar sahare

Being a technical background, Should Panel members asked me questions from technical background deeply ?

The panel members can ask just about anything. If you were to give an honest answer to why you chose banking job after becoming an engineer; what would you say?

I'm not sure what prevents the candidates from giving an honest answer? You can be wise with your choice of words while speaking the truth. So, what would your honest answer be?

Anyone has any ideas about the kind of salaries that are offered to computer science engineers who go for bank jobs as freshers? Any insights anyone would like to share?

I'am an electronics and communication engineer and my aggregate is 53% can i apply for bank PO and SO exam ??

@Satya Swaroop Dash Could you please address this query?

Akshathaa0108

I'am an electronics and communication engineer and my aggregate is 53% can i apply for bank PO and SO exam ??

Akshathaa0108

I'am an electronics and communication engineer and my aggregate is 53% can i apply for bank PO and SO exam ??

You are eligible for both. IBPS doesn't ask for minimum percentages. You need to be a graduate for IBPS PO and your engineering stream makes you eligible for IT officer scale 1

HI ma'am,
I was working with an electronics company for 3.5 years before I started preparing for banking jobs. Main reason for leaving pvt job was stability. How should I justify the same in interview?

how are bank exams ?easy or tough for engineer to crack

prakhar kumar sahu

how are bank exams ?easy or tough for engineer to crack

They are easy for a talented, smart and hardworking engineer to crack. They are VERY tough for an average person who finds it tough to grasp easy concepts.

I am currently doing Internship in a private company and currently i am in 7th semester in B.Tech-IT from IIIT Allahabad but unfortunately i am not interested in IT pvt sector I would like to join in government banking sector as PO or IT officer can u suggest me I am eligible for PO or not ???

@Sanjeev Kumar Gupta You will become eligible for giving bank exams for PO or IT Officer once you complete your graduation.
For IT Office exam, you need to have a degree in Electronics, IT or CS (which you will have within an year). The IT officer exam will have various sections like general aptitude, mathematics, english and logical reasoning. Your can take the Bank PO exam as well, it will not have any technical topics at the test. There will be an interview round at the end of the tests.
Some private banks ask for a tough eligibility criteria and keep heavy bond break amounts. Bonds generally last for 3-5 years. The salary at the start of the career can be anything from 25 to 35k, but for specific banks (both government and private) you should google up.
To answer your basic question, IT engineers can apply for bank jobs after graduation.

thank you for giving me appropriate and valuable suggestion ...

Does anyone have any idea as to what kind of jobs available for civil engineering graaduates in the banking sector ?

Hello mam,
Iam Garima, and right now Iam persuing b.e from electrical and electronics branch,my current cgpa is 8.5. I wanted to know can I apply for banking? I wanted to go in sbi but Iam scared that interviewers may/may not select me. I really want to go in banking sector.

GS11

I wanted to know can I apply for banking?

Yes you can. If you satisfy the eligibility criteria for the bank job you are applying to. Since you've not mentioned the type of job; we can't give you specific answer.

GS11

I wanted to go in sbi but Iam scared that interviewers may/may not select me.

You'll have to get over your fears and face the tests and interviews. The only way to ensure entry into your dream job is to approach it with a strategy. Find out what job you want, what does it take to get that job, give yourself time and prepare like mad. That should make your entry into the banking sector easy.

Sir, everyone around me suggests that I should go with my present field only because there I'll be able to use whatever I had studied before,but in case of banking I have to start my career from zero,so is it right to start my career with zero because there the degree will just act as a graduation.

Is it really tough to crack the banking interview with a btech degree,is there is any chance to not get selected with btech?

@GS11 - some information about your background - whether you are student or working professional; and other information that would be relevant to your question.

hey!! good to read your blog... i am an IT engineering student persuing my degree. To b specific in 2 yr of engineering... i took admission in engineering frm parents influnce and abit job security. now m confused wat are the further designation i can apply for... my coding is average.. ok ok networking... but love to play wid number to some extent & managing people as well... so can u please guide me wat career should i choose?

Hi I am Akash working as a site engineer. and I am thinking to apply for a bank job ? so please can you suggest which one is better for me ? being a site engineer or a bank job

I am a .net developer whenever i go for interview in bank sector they just ask the question why are you looking for a bank jobs.pLS TELL ME AN IDEA TO OVERCOME THIS INTERVIEW QUESTION

Ankita Katdare

This is the most asked question in interviews for banking jobs for engineering graduate freshers. Similar to the question "Why MBA after B.E. or B.Tech" that we've discussed a lot on this forum, this is a very important question that one needs to prepare for when going for any banking sector interview.

Traditionally, it is believed that bank jobs are taken up either by commerce graduates or MBA degree holders. However, with the sheer amount of engineers that India is producing year after year, that picture has changed quite a lot in the last decade. More and more engineers readily choose banking jobs straight out of their engineering college.

The straight-forward answer to that is either one of these two or both:
1. Banking career in India is secure.
2. Banks offer better salary package over other sectors.

Even if you have a third option in mind already, you need to be able to put it very clearly before the interviewer. Many applicants aren't very sure of why they are going into a banking sector job, so I advise that you take time out before the interview to write down what a career in banking means to you and why you are a perfect fit for the said position in the bank.

Here are some of the points that I think should come in handy for any engineer preparing for bank interview.

I chose a banking job after engineering because:

1. Changing with times, banks have been fastest to adopt new technologies. As an engineer, I keep myself up-to-date with latest trends in technology sector.
2. ATMs, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Credit/Debit Card Management all these departments need engineers.
3. Engineers have really good mathematics & analytical skills - something that the job demands.
4. If applicable to your profile, you can talk about leadership. How you organised events at college level or at internship level. Banks need leaders in every department.
5. Communication Skills. A must for any banker. You need to quote real life examples from your experience at college and extra-curricular activities that helped you build really good communication skills.
6. Stability IT/Core Engineering jobs are highly unstable. If I am looking for a stable career option that pays well, banking offers really good options.
7. Perks at a bank job are really attractive for me as an engineer looking for a long-term stay. For eg: Cheaper loans, Accommodation facilities, Fuel for vehicles, LTC or LFC etc.
8. Banks have a fair selection process that relies heavily on merit. You can prove it to the interviewer that your technical know-how coupled with analytical skills are perfect for the bank job.
9. Every bank today has an Information Technology department. You can learn software used in bank (at least the basics) and that will come in really handy.
For eg: Finacle, BANCS, Flex Cube are the various leading software used in banks. As an engineer, it should be easy to train yourself in any one of those.
10. Last but not the least: Let the interviewer know that you are in this for the long-ride. Banks suffer from high attrition rates and most employees frequently shift their jobs. If you convince the interviewer that you don't like job-hopping (Something that's prevalent in IT sector), you increased your chances of getting selected.

Inviting opinions and suggestions from all engineers on this. If you are applying for a bank job as an engineer, do feel free to ask your questions below.

Ankita Katdare

For additional reading, refer this discussion:
Can engineers be in bank jobs?

Hello Sir,
I have completed my engineering in computer stream, now i am doing a job in a company which develops the banking software. I am working as application support engineer in the same company from 3 months. I wish to make career in banking after 2- 3 yrs.
My query is that after working as application support engineer in the company ( deals with banking software) ; can I apply for banking job in technical field? If so, what should be the salary that can I expect in banking job?

Smit Dethe

can I apply for banking job in technical field? If so, what should be the salary that can I expect in banking job?

I guess you definitely can. The best way to know is to find out existing job openings and see if they require the skills-set you have.

Salary is a pure function of your experience, skills-set and the money banks is willing to pay. Have you searched for the jobs that you aim to apply after 2-3 years? You can add up about 20% to what they are offering right now to have an idea of the salary you can expect.

actually sir, I m a fresher and i m having bond for 2 yrs with the company. they are paying me 10k + accomodation per month. I joined this job for securing maximum knowledge regarding software and banking fundamentals. But rather than this , i dont have determination about the banking designations, job profiles. I need the guidlines from you by which I should examin myself and to get prepared for the appropriate level.
I searched and asked too many people that " what can do in banking sector with technical aspects?" , but it is not justified.

is there a age limit for appliying in banking sector?

Since you've a bond with your existing employer, I'd assume that you're going to respect it and continue working for them till your contract requires. I'm bit confused whether you are really interested in getting into banking job. You haven't mentioned what kind of jobs you are targeting.

The first thing to do is to figure out what kind of job you wish to do and then find out all the information you can about it. You can ask specific questions about specific jobs and read information about the requirements and eligibility criteria they have. The eligibility criteria doesn't change; so what applies now is likely to hold after 2 years from now.

That said, I'd strongly recommend you to find out the roles and responsibilities for the job you are targeting. I've seen most people do not research the jobs well before choosing them and then get into frustration which they can't escape.

Application support isn't really a 'technical' experience as such. Of course, it depends upon what skills you are developing and how relevant they are to the next job that you are targeting. Since you did not mention anything about the jobs / role, all I can say is that you should study the job advertisements and find out what roles / responsibilities they demand and build your skills-set accordingly.

what is the better option after BE IN INSTRUMENTATION...is it GATE or BANK EXAMS like SBI PO and IBPS...

incase we are not interested in pursuing in the technical field....what other options are there in addition to bank exams???

"The world is your oyster" said Shakespeare.

Ankita Katdare

@Satya Swaroop Dash Could you share some light on the exams that engineering graduates can take for a bank job and what are the positions available these days?

there are specialist officer posts for engineering graduates mainly for CSE IT ENTC stream and qualifying exams mainly have technical subjects of respective stream. They give a big fat package of 70-75 K per month.but the competition is too tough and the cut off score for these people are also high. Beside this PO Clerk positions are also available but general Knowledge and awareness should be strong.

Hi Sir/Madam,
Recently I have joined the IT sector and I feel that its very stressful profession. So taught of changing my interest to Banking sector. Can you just suggest me what and which exams shall I apply. I have googled regarding this but I am unable to get it .Can you help me?.
Thanks

Hi Sir/Madam,
Recently I have joined the IT sector but I feel its very stressful profession. So I taught of changing my interest to Banking sector. Can u just suggest me what and which exams should I write. I googled regarding this but I was unable to get it. Can u just help me out with this?.
Thanks

i am graduate btech(ECE). Whether i need computer certificate for bank exams?

mam Iam a Btech final year student to get a bank job what should i have to do ? i have more interest in banking sector but iam very much confused what to and what not to give me clarification mam

Hello Surya, let me help you out with your query,

You can join the banking sector as a clerk, probationary officer or a specialist officer. You also have a choice of joining private or public sector banks, while the former promises faster growth the latter provides a more job security. Since you are a final year student we would advise you to start preparing for your dream job right now. The only trouble we see is that IBPS which is the institute which organises exams for most public sector banks asks that you should have completed your graduation before you register for any of the exams. If your graduation is ending now let’s say within August 2017 then you can apply for the IBPS CWE VII which will be held in two phases in the month of October 2017 and November 2017 followed by a interview process scheduled for early 2018.

You can visit this link for the tentative calendar of IBPS for 2017-18: https://www.ibps.in/wp-content/uploads/CWE_Tentative_Calendar_of_Examinations_2017_18.pdf

Private sector banks like Axis, ICICI and HDFC conduct separate exams for recruitment. The exams are usually followed by a year long training program.

Public sector banks like Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank, Syndicate Bank and IDBI have already conducted their exams for this year.

You can also refer to this link if which contains the list of online resource which shall help you prepare for your exams: Bank PO Exam Preparation Material - Websites, Apps, YouTube Videos, Online Tests And More

Is it possible to join bank it officer job in btech 3 year if I qualify

@lorisingh‍ - I don't see any problem. 

@lorisingh Do you mean after engineering third-year completion or after 3 years of completing engineering? Your question is a bit ambiguous to understand. Please explain in detail.

While there are multiple good answers already there in this thread, I think we need to discuss about each engineering branch specifically.

Why bank job after civil engineering? or Why did you choose a career in banking after doing mechanical engineering? We need to address these questions here as well..

To be honest, its really a difficult question to give a satisfactory answer to convenience the interviewer as opting for banking job after engineer is all together a different path unless you opt to join in as a software or hardware engineer. 

But there is always a way out to prove yourself, if and only if you have done some diploma course in banking. 

After this, you can answer this question as follows:

Respected sir/madam, I was passionate and I am still passionate for my core field i.e. engineering but towards the end of my curriculum I build an interest in banking sector of my country as being a developing economy banking sector is which into limelight with new reforms and mergers of best banking companies. This interest got turned into passion to work with a banking company so did my diploma but this dose not mean I am not sure for my career or future. The best part would be you can hire for a portion where I can work with your IT department as well as front end desk team and serve your banking company in all ways as IT is omnipresent across all fields. 

Think over this my sir/madam.

Economists, Engineers, and Development - ProQuest

Well, as there are multiple good answers for the post, I think in my view one can opt their career in banking sector after their graduation or can pursue MBA after graduation. It’s always the interest that matters rather than the path to achieve.

I understand most of us face such kind of interview questions why MBA, why banking why government non technical sector jobs after graduation, but believe me it’s not the ultimate filteration question. When you are imposed to such questions make sure you let the interviewer know your passion towards the job. Yes, that’s true you are an engineer and can also support the banking sector. There are many other backend processes in banking sector which needs the engineering support and show the interviewer that you have a clear cut idea about what exactly you want to and what are all the skills that you can propel to support them.

It is not always true that we started something and we ended up with the expected results. One may have interest to the other field after he/she has experienced it. I believe in Better late than never. If such is the case then one can choose something of their interest and succeed. 

compare to job engineering field, bank jobs provide following benefits.

1. office job

2. no shift duty.

3. saves you hazardous work place such as in workshop, open construction site.

4. gives you more public reputation.

5.good banks are PSU or Pvt.. So they give optimum chance of promotion such thing u lacks in engineering field except PSU companies.

There are certain 'hacks' that engineers can apply to answer this question confidently and looking genuine. Since the answer will have to be different for different candidates, the background from which the candidate comes plays a major role in answering this question. 

Answer 1: Say that while studying engineering, you realized that technical field may not be enjoyable for you. State that your background in (electrical, computer, civil etc.) offers promising careers, but you won't be internally satisfied with those jobs. Hence, you are preparing for banking job.

Answer 2: Say that "in my opinion", the banking job actually gives the feeling and satisfaction of directly making a difference to people's lives. Even if you won't be interacting directly with people, your work will indirectly affect tens of thousands of people.

Answer 3: Say that it modern banking is highly influenced by technology. So it'd be better for a bank to have a person interested in technology. 

Answer 4: Say that being an engineer, you are programmed to be a problem solver using available resources. It'd be interesting to have your problem solving skills being utilized in banking environment. Well, be prepared for cross-questioning on this answer. But you can really turn the interview in your favor with it. 

Be prepared with the questions about the role of Bank PO (Probationary Officer) and then come up with a general BS about how you can use your engineering background to perform the role.

There can be a lot of reasons.

There is also a popular saying in TVF Pitchers...

"Jab is desh ke engineering graduates apne 9 to 5 job se bore ho jaate hain, unko 3 rasta dikhai dete hain. 1)MBA, 2)UPSC or 3)Startup."

I find there is also a 4th option available these days and its trending. Its banking sector.

But I would like to answer this question in a manner that engineers don't just quit there jobs and get into banking sector out of frustration or something like that. There could be passionate engineers as well who wish to explore different areas of working fields and they do really well there.

Because it's very secure job , it's offers very good salaries when compares to other sector. Bankers need engineers because now a days banks adopting new technology so engineers keep technology up to date.they good at leadership qualities and communication skills.

Interesting answers by everyone. I have a few more interview-type questions about this. Many interviewers will jump on the opportunity to ask an engineering background student about why he or she wants to join banking sector after a technical education.

So, here are some "why banking after engineering" interview questions list -

1. What is the use of engineering in bank sector?
2. Is it possible to enter banking after IT job? Will it be lucrative enough?
3. Specifics like: Why banking after civil engineering? or Why banking after electrical engineering?
4. How is your subject helpful in banking sector?
5. Why do you want to become a bank PO?
6. How engineering can help in banking?
7. What are your thoughts about career in finance after engineering? (Applicable to MBA Finance candidates too)
8. Which engineers in banking do you know who have made it big?
   
   

You can attempt answering these questions in your free time to practice for your upcoming interview. Keeping these answers handy (rehearsed) can help you be completely prepared.

Thank you for posting these question ma'am. These question helps even me because even i am thinking to write banking exam after my BE. So these question helps me lot to know more about banking. 

Engineering students won't find many jobs in IT sector and they may think it will be difficult for them to prepare for interviews and finding jobs. One of the major reason for choosing bank sector is because of time management and security. In Banking it's easy to find government jobs than private jobs and even salary will be sometimes more than company jobs. These will be major reason for many students choosing banking jobs than IT jobs. 

Even many companies will have job opening in banking or finanace sector. So engineering students can work in banking easily and there won't be any shifts in working in banks. Many engineers don't like coding and they think there coding skills are poor, hence they choose banking.