Job Profile of Clerk/ Work of Clerk in Bank/ Salary of Clerks

Understanding the profile, role & responsibilities of a bank clerk is important just like paying attention to the salary offered.Knowing the functions beforehand not only saves you from unexpected surprises while on duty but also gives you an extra edge in answering questions during Interviews. So let us see the job profile of a clerk in detail.

How to apply for clerk posts?

Public banks were conducting exams for clerical vacancies on their own but 2011 onwards, a common written exam (CWE) to fill clerical cadre in all public sector banks has been introduced by IBPS.

Through this, a candidate interested to apply for clerk posts must

• Appear for CWE,
• Get a scorecard &
• Apply for vacancies in any of the 19 banks.
• Eligible applicants are called for Interview leading to final appointment.

Salary & Probation

The payscale has been fixed at Rs.7200 - 19300 & The take-home salary shall be approximately Rs.13000/ month which may differ slightly based on the bank, job location & qualifications.

All selected candidates for clerical positions will on probation for 6 months.After this period, they are assessed either through a short test or performance review & confirmed.

Roles & Responsibilities

• For visitors, clerical employees are the first point of contact in a bank for enquiries & guidance.
• The person inside the withdrawal & deposit counters are mostly of clerical scale.This is the reason some banks mention clerk as single window operators or cashiers.
• They are responsible for accepting payments, sanction withdrawals, verify cheques, issue demand drafts & other banking related services to customers.
• Back-office work like receipts collection, ledger maintenance, balance tally & other transactions must be keyed in the computer systems after office hours.
• In addition this, clerks may also have to take-up marketing of financial products of bank such as loans, deposits, schemes to visitors.
• In short, clerks are like the face of bank.

Who can become a clerk?

This is the first question that may arise for many, especially if you are new to applying for upcoming bank jobs.The common eligibility conditions are,

• 60% in SSLC/Matric or HSC or Pass in any degree (could change) 
• Agelimit: 18 – 28 yrs
• Proficiency in the local language
• Computer certificate (depends on the recruitment)

Career Growth

Clerks have the opportunity to take part in promotions conducted once every 2 years (subject to change) & get elevated as Officers.Promotions are held by taking into account the performance of employees & interviews.

After working for 3-4 years, you may also apply for jobs in private banks or other financial institutions as they prefer to recruit candidates with experience in banking industry.

The chances of getting a good offer that includes better pay & senior position are quite high.

* Looking to become an officer? Read about the job profile of bank PO