Surinder Singh’s Fought All Odds to Become Bank Clerk

Despite His Humble Background

JUNE 28, 2018

Insights:

1. This job may not sound appealing to one who has big dreams to earn
big money. It is for those who cannot afford professional degrees or
expensive courses.
2. The life of a Bank Clerk is monotonously routine. Therefore, it is well
suited for people who prefer easy-going life.
3. Life of a Bank Clerk mostly depends on the branch, department, staff
and his manager. A bank clerk job in the city has higher work-pressure
as compared to rural areas.
 4. A clerk gets various perks such as Newspaper allowance, leave travel
concession, conveyance expenses, hospitalization expenses
reimbursement, medical expenses reimbursement, festival advance,
and vehicle and housing loans at a cheaper rate of interest.
5. One gets a good number of holidays. All Sundays are holidays, second
and fourth Saturday are also holidays. We get twelve days casual leave,
fifteen days sick leave and thirty days privilege leave per year. This is
apart from the holidays announced by the government of the state.

Personal Profile

Name – Surinder Singh

Profession – Clerk in SBI Bank

Age – 33 years

Gender – Male

City – Jalalabad

Industry – ​Banking

Where have you been born and raised?

I was born in a small village Ghubaaya nearby Jalalabad city in Punjab. I

belong to a poor family. My father was a laborer. My mother passed away
when I was four. As my father couldn’t take care of me, I was sent to my
maternal family and was raised there until my 12th. I returned to my village for
higher studies.

Who had the most influence on you and how?

As a child, I admired my maternal uncle who was a peon in a government

bank. I thought he was very rich. I later realized that there were many other
governmental jobs. My school teacher eventually had the greatest influence
on me. He encouraged me to study further, which eventually brought me into
this field. I remain in touch with him till date.

Please give us a summary of your career.

I completed my 12th from a government school. I pursued my B.A. from

D.A.V. College, Jalalabad.

After my graduation, I took coaching for around 10 months for the entrance
exam of ​SBI clerk​ and passed both stages.

Initially, I got a small branch to work at and the salary was also quite low but
within every 2–3 months, I got an increment. After 4 years of work, I got
shifted to another branch and also got my first promotion with a relatively
higher salary. Soon I’ll be getting my second promotion within a year or two.

Which institutes are best for the educational training of bank

clerk?
One doesn’t exactly need a degree in any particular field. Graduation is
necessary though.

But times are changing, so I would suggest that one should pursue BBA, as
this will help in building a good base for this job.

The base requirement is to pass the entrance for which coaching may or may
not be necessary.

What are the costs associated with education/ training of this

profession?

If you pursue your ​BBA​ from a local college, then cost will be 30,000–50,000
INR per year, excluding living expenses.

Coaching classes for the entrance exam can vary from 3,000 to 6,000 per
month.

What are the typical entry-level jobs in bank clerk?

Once you qualify for the job, you join as a junior clerk. Within a span of 1 to 2
years, you could be promoted to some senior-level posts. This process goes
on for the entire span of time till you get retired.

What is the range of remuneration one can expect when

starting out as bank clerk?
A clerk, like me, can draw a reasonable salary, which allows for a comfortable
living.

1–5 years’ experience — 20,000 to 25,000 INR per month

5–10 years’ experience — 30,000 to 50,000 INR per month

10+ years’ experience — 40,000 to 80,000 INR per month

Apart from this you also get some extra amount and perks for your medical
allowance, allowances on fuel, newspapers, cleaning materials and
entertainment, loans with lesser interest rates. You are also entitled to buy
books for your career enhancement. You get to stay at Bank’s holiday homes
at a very subsidized rate.

Please describe your work as a bank clerk.

On a usual work day, I attend customers, make transaction entries, accept

account opening forms, make ​NEFT​ or ​RTGS​ entries, attend customer
queries and follow up with concerned department till the problem is solved.

In simple words, a clerk handles customer and do data entry work in the
computer system.

I work 6 days a week except for Sundays and the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the
month.
What are some of the positives, which would encourage
someone to consider clerk profile in banking?

1. A clerk gets a reasonable salary to lead an easy-going life.

2. You receive numerous perks such as Newspaper allowance, leave
travel concession, conveyance expenses, hospitalization expenses
reimbursement, medical expenses reimbursement, festival advance,
vehicle and housing loans at a cheaper rate of interest.
3. In case of emergencies, you can get very long leave, also called
sabbatical​. Women get long maternity leave.
4. The work isn’t stressful, and the timings are reasonable.

What are some of the challenges that you should want

someone to be aware of when considering clerk profile in
banking?

1. A clerk’s life lacks creativity and advancement. This would be a

disadvantage to personal growth as well.
2. Sometimes, you are posted to far-off locations, which leads to disruption
in your life.
3. Though the work is monotonous, it requires patience and high focus.
You can’t be an unreliable employee as minor errors can cause more
havoc than in any other field.
4. During times when government schemes are implemented, like
demonetization, the workload is high and stressful.
What are relevant trends/ skills/ technologies that are currently
commanding a premium in your job profile?

I’m not very sure. All the clerks have a similar work i.e., to interact with
customers and do data entry work. Any required skill is already taught in the
training.

What kind of person would be happy in your career?

A person who is punctual, polite, possesses good communication skills, one

who can sit for hours just to do the same work day in and day out and wants
an easy going, stable life would be happy in this career.

Give another choice, what would you do differently as far as

your professional selections are concerned?

I always wanted to become a pilot, but that wasn’t easy for at least one like
me who really belongs to a poor family. However, I believe in fate and agree
with my journey.

What would be your advice to students or professionals who

are just starting their journey on a path similar to yours be?

Prepare for the entrance exam with full determination and consistency, then
success is guaranteed.
Don’t waste unnecessary time and money on expensive coaching classes, as
your hard work is only going to make you successful. All the best!

Liked this article? Dive deeper into banking profession with ​Mr. Vivek Prakash
here​.

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