How to Become a Clerk

About Clerk

Career as a clerk is regarded as one of the most dignified jobs in the country. Every day thousands of people search for the bank clerk jobs. Most of the clerks at the bank take care of the customer services and the customer is the backbone of the country's economy. They play a major role in providing the best customer to all the existing customers of the Banks.

Responsibilities of a Clerk

A bank clerk plays a very significant role in the smooth functioning of the bank. They maintain all the records of activities which are taking place every day in the bank in an efficient manner. According to their interest, a clerk is given various tasks which they need to execute every day. There is a different type of clerks in the bank such as loan clerk, interest clerk, security clerk, exchange clerk, etc.

Some of the daily tasks that a bank clerk has to perform are the following:

• Pay Attention to Customer and their Requirements such as withdrawal slips. Issuing Cheque Books
• Maintaining and Updating Customer’s Record and Accounts
• Handling Deposits and Cash Withdrawals
• Maintain ledger, balance sheets, data entry

Skills Required to be a Clerk

To become a bank clerk one have a good grip and knowledge about mathematical calculation, computer skills, should be able to give attention to every minute details and at the same time should be very honest and trustworthy.

Eligibility to become Clerk

To become a clerk of a private bank, the candidate has to clear the IBPS examination. It is a written exam which is divided into five sections. Whereas a candidate who wants to work as a clerk in a government bank has to crack the SBI clerk entrance examination. The examination is divided into parts and it is mandatory for candidates to clear both the examination to become a bank clerk.

An aspirant must fulfil the given eligibility criteria to become a Clerk:

• A candidate must have a bachelor’s degree as the minimum qualification criteria before applying for the Bank clerk exam.
• Age Criteria: The candidate must be 20-28 years old
• They must have a valid bachelor’s degree from a recognised university.
• They must not hold any criminal record while applying for the exam.

Fees to Become a Clerk

There is no such fees to become a clerk as you do not require a professional degree or diploma regarding the same. However, one requires to appear in the bank clerk exam for which there is some application fee.

Types of Job Roles Clerk

There are many different of job profiles available for bank clerks within the bank itself. Some of them are listed below:

Interest Clerk: They manage the interest owed to saving accounts customers and interest owed to the bank from loans and other investments.

Statement Clerk  A statement clerk maintains balance sheets in a proper manner after a regular time period. The task of the loan clerk is to maintain all the information regarding the loans.  However, the task of the security clerk is to deal with all the investments and stock details of the bank.

Loan Clerk: They record and organise all the data related to loans.

Security Clerk: They take care of the records for each customer's account. They also deal with all the investments and stock details of the bank

Bookkeeping Clerk: He Records, files and looks after stocks, bonds and other investment documents

Exchange Clerk: They manage and work on international accounts, translating foreign currency into pounds sterling and vice versa.

Assistant Manager: The main job role of the assistant manager is to train the new employee's Other tasks of an assistant manager is to manage the hiring process, staying informed of the branch's available services and products, supervising bank teller compartments and monitoring upkeep for building safety devices.

Branch Manager: A branch manager manages the staff to foster a positive environment and ensure customer satisfaction and proper branch operation. They direct all the operational aspects including distribution, customer service, human resources, administration and sales as per the bank’s objectives.

Employment Opportunities for Clerk

• The employment opportunities for clerk  are as followsCentral Banks
• Commercial Banks- They are further classified into three categories of Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks
• Development Banks
• Cooperative Banks
• Specialized Banks
• Exchange Banks

Top Recruiting Companies for Clerk

Check out the popular banks that recruit clerks here:

• State Bank of India
• Punjab National Bank
• NABARD
• SIDBI
• Saraswat Cooperative Bank

Pay Scale/Salary of Clerk

The salary of a clerk is one of the most dignified and along with that they enjoy many other allowances such as Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance (TA) and others. The salary Structure of a clerk is as follows:

• Basic Pay of a clerk is between Rs.12,000 to 32,000 monthly.
• A clerk gets dearness allowance as well which are released by the banks on a quarterly basis.
• House Rent Allowance is allocated to a clerk on the basis of the place which they are transferred to. HRA usually ranges between Rs.2,000 to Rs.10,000.
• They are also given transport and medical allowance

Books & Study Material to Become Clerk

To prepare for the Bank Clerk exam one must be well prepared. The Bank Clerk exam covers a wide range of topics, therefore it is necessary for candidates to choose the right set of books and study material for the examination. Some of the popular banking books are the following:

• Objective General English by R.S. Aggarwal & Vikas Aggarwal
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• High School English Grammar & Composition by Wren & Martin Objective English for Competitive Examinations by Hari Mohan Prasad & Uma Rani Sinha
• A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal
• Test of Reasoning by Edgar Thorpe 

Candidates must also go through previous year’ question papers in order to understand the exam section.

Pros of becoming a Clerk

• Being a clerk in the bank is just not about social status but it also provides security and promotional growth to an employee.
• Banking Sector is one of those sectors which offer great career opportunities for freshers as compared to other jobs.
• The most important factor which attracts candidates to pursue a career as a clerk is because it provides job security especially in government sector banks
• Growth opportunities in bank jobs are immersed as compares to other sectors as well as you get promotions on time.
• Career as a clerk offers you a number of holidays than you would expect in any other sector or private organization.

Cons of becoming a Clerk

• Even though a career as a clerk offers job security with time the work can get taxing and monotonous.
• Bank sector is one of the hectic workplaces as there is pressure to achieve targets.
• Bank clerks sometimes get transferred to rural areas which can be at times very difficult to adjust.
• Clerks have to deal with difficult employees and at times maintaining your cool in such situations can be very tough.