If you are aspiring for a career in a public sector bank, here is good news. There are about 5,000 positions for officers and clerks to be filled up.

Some banks have commenced the recruitment process for the next financial year (2011-12) even as experts point out that more vacancies would be notified by other banks as we move to the next fiscal.

The Reserve Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Allahabad Bank and Indian Bank, among others, have advertised for recruitment.

Many other major banks, including the bulk-recruiter State Bank of India, are yet to announce vacancies for the year to come.

According to Mr R Ramachadran, Chairman and Managing Director, Andhra Bank, about 30-40 per cent of existing bank staff would soon retire creating more vacancies.

"This would happen at the senior management level as bulk of existing personnel had joined in the 1970s at a junior level and progressed to senior levels. Hence there will be lot of opportunities for the aspirants to get into banking," he told Business Line here.

In addition to the junior level openings, opportunities would also come up in the middle level with lateral recruitment, Mr Ramachandran added.

According to Mr T.M. Bhasin, CMD, Indian Bank, the bulk-hiring trend in the banking industry which has been there for the last couple of years is expected to continue for at least three more years.

"There will be more vacancies coming up in the industry sooner than what has been notified till now. This will be driven by large-scale expansion of banking in rural and urban regions, replacement needed in view of the retirements and the rationalisation of operations and staff," Mr Bhasin said.

For the last two years, banks were absorbing over 35,000 employees every year.

COMMON TEST

Though the currently notified vacancies are to be filled up through individual recruitment tests, there could be a common test for all banks in future.

There has been a proposal for conducting a common recruitment test for over 20 public sector banks. This is being examined by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and the Indian Banks' Association, according to sources.

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