Most people get into a bank through one of three doors: a graduate or early careers programme, an exam-based intake, or a vacancy posted for experienced staff. Commercial banks run the first and the third. Some banks, such as State Bank of India, recruit freshers through written exams. Central banks hire through their own careers sites and add rules on nationality and security. This post sets out how to get a job in a bank of each kind, from the careers pages of six banks.
Which kinds of bank hire, and through which door?
Each bank is its own employer and posts on its own site. Your route depends on the kind of bank and on how far into your career you are.
| Kind of bank | Examples | Main entry routes | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial bank | HSBC, Standard Chartered | Internships, graduate programmes, posted vacancies | A short form, online assessments, a video interview, an assessment centre |
| Bank that recruits by exam | State Bank of India | Numbered advertisements for officers, associates, specialists and apprentices | Preliminary and main exams for some posts, results by roll number |
| Central bank | Bank of England, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve Board | Apprenticeships, traineeships, graduate programmes, posted vacancies | Nationality or right-to-work rules, tests, security vetting |
| Development bank | World Bank Group, EIB and others | Posted vacancies, young professionals programmes | Member-country rules, panel interviews |
Development banks have their own post, development bank jobs, so this one stays with commercial and central banks.
How do bank graduate programmes choose people?
They test before they interview. The three programmes we read all start with a short form, move to timed online assessments, and end with an interview stage.
HSBC’s application guide sets out three steps: an online form of 10 to 15 minutes, an online assessment of about 90 minutes, and an assessment centre of about three hours, which it calls Super Days in the US. The form asks eligibility questions and may ask for a CV or transcripts, with no long written answers. HSBC also says that in several locations its graduate places are filled through its internships, which makes an internship the better first target there.
Standard Chartered’s application zone lists six steps: an online application with your CV, a Skills Insight Assessment of behavioural and reasoning questions, a coding simulation for technology roles only, a video interview called Workplace Scenarios, an assessment centre, and the offer.
How does the Bank of England choose people?
The Bank of England uses one process for apprentices, interns, industrial placements and graduates, according to its how to apply page. You fill in a form and upload a CV, take a situational judgement test, record a video interview, then attend a virtual assessment centre with one group exercise and one interview. The video interview is not live. Each answer has a time limit, the recording stops when it runs out, and you cannot record again.
Two rules catch people out. HSBC does not let you apply for more than one programme, and the Bank of England accepts only your first application, so pick the programme before you start the form. HSBC also reviews applications as they arrive and may close a programme early once its places are filled.
Do you need a finance degree to work in a bank?
Not for every programme. HSBC says it looks at your behavioural and cognitive skills, not what you studied, and names a specific academic background only where a programme needs one. Central bank programmes ask for more. The ECB Graduate Programme asks for a master’s degree or a PhD, and a PhD for its Economist Graduate Programme. ECB traineeships ask for at least a bachelor’s degree and no more than 12 months of work experience since graduation, and the ECB’s careers page says its trainee campaigns run all year.
What do central banks ask for that commercial banks do not?
Central bank jobs come with stricter gates, mostly nationality and vetting. In the United States, hiring is also split between separate employers.
- The ECB. Its Graduate Programme is open to EU nationals. It is a two-year fixed-term contract at the E/F band from 1 September, with two one-year assignments in different business areas. The ECB says 19 graduates join each year: 15 in the general programme and four in the Economist Graduate Programme. Economist vacancies are published in autumn and general ones in winter.
- The Federal Reserve Board. Its careers FAQ says that, as a general rule, the Board hires only US citizens. Its main job families are economist, research assistant, attorney, financial analyst and information technology professional. The Federal Reserve Banks are separate organisations with their own websites, so an application to the Board does not reach them.
- The Bank of England. Every new joiner needs National Security Vetting, which usually takes three to four weeks after an offer and can take much longer. The Bank tells you not to hand in your notice during that time, and withdraws the offer if clearance is refused. If you lived outside the UK in the last five years it may need overseas checks, and in some countries those checks cannot be done. The offer also depends on references and on identity, criminal record and credit checks.
On the right to work, the Bank of England may sponsor a visa for its graduate programmes, case by case, and the applicant pays the skilled worker visa fee and the immigration health surcharge. HSBC says its sponsorship depends on each country’s law and on business need, and the programme description states when it takes applicants who need a visa.
How does an exam-based bank intake work?
State Bank of India, which describes itself as the largest bank in the country, posts each recruitment as a numbered advertisement on its current openings page. Each entry has an advertisement number, a last date to apply, the advertisement to download and an apply online link. When we read the page, it listed:
- Probationary Officers, with the main examination result announced (advertisement CRPD/PO/2026-27/09).
- Junior Associates (customer support and sales), with call letters for the preliminary examination.
- A special recruitment drive for backlog vacancies reserved for SC, ST and OBC candidates.
- Specialist Cadre Officers on a regular, contract or fixed-term basis, with a biodata form and a CTC negotiation form.
- Apprentices engaged under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
Read the advertisement itself before you apply, because the page shows only its title, number and dates. SBI’s careers page also says it never publishes the names of shortlisted or selected candidates. It publishes roll or registration numbers only, tells candidates by SMS, email or post, and posts recruitment details only on its own careers pages. A message from anywhere else that names you as selected needs checking against those pages first.
How do you prepare a bank application?
A checklist that fits the banks above:
- Check the gates first. Nationality, the right to work, the degree level and your graduation date can each end an application before anyone reads it.
- Choose one programme. HSBC and the Bank of England take one application, so read the programme pages before you start.
- Use the free practice. HSBC has a Practice Zone for its assessments, and Standard Chartered has tips for each stage. A timed test is easier once you know its format.
- Rehearse the recorded interview. You get a short time to think and a fixed time to answer, with no second take. Build each answer around one example, and the STAR method gives you a shape.
- Fit your CV to the country. A bank in another country may expect a different length and different personal details. One resume for many countries covers what changes.
For banking jobs aimed at experienced staff, read the grade, the contract and the location before the duties. How to read a job posting has a method for the rest.
Questions people ask
Can I apply to a bank graduate programme again after a rejection?
At HSBC, yes, in a later recruitment cycle. HSBC suggests you first work out why you were not successful and work on those gaps. Within one cycle, HSBC and the Bank of England each take one application.
Do banks sponsor visas for graduates?
Some do, case by case. The Bank of England may sponsor for its graduate programmes, and HSBC states in each programme’s eligibility criteria whether it takes applicants who need sponsorship. The Federal Reserve Board generally hires US citizens only.
How long does a bank take to hire?
The Federal Reserve Board says some posts are filled in as little as three weeks and others take longer. At the Bank of England, vetting adds three to four weeks after the offer. Central bank graduate programmes run in yearly rounds: the Bank of England’s future talent page said its 2026 round had closed and its pages would be updated in autumn 2026 for the 2027 round.
Can I use an AI notetaker in a central bank interview?
Not at the Federal Reserve Board. Its FAQ says candidates in a virtual interview must have their video on and may not use AI notetaking software.
What we know and what we do not
Every rule above comes from the banks’ own careers pages. The Reserve Bank of India’s site answered our first request with an “Unauthorised Access” page, and the site of India’s Institute of Banking Personnel Selection did not answer, so this post describes neither. The pages we read give no pay figures, so neither does this post. Banks change their dates and rules every round, so the bank’s own page is the final word.
Zorlya does not apply for you. After you sign in, Zorlya collects roles from 130+ sources into one feed, scores each one against your resume, names its source and links to the original posting, where you apply. How it works shows the steps.