When an avid young optimistic reader of Allbankingsolutions.com, who recently "got allotment to one of the biggest PSBs" as a Probationary Officer - after a "lot of hard work" and also with the help received from ABS - became a little bit confused "because of the negative talks" about banking career , its transfer policies, office politics, mental torture faced by honest officers, work pressure, pathetic HR policies etc" and is in "need of an honest advice" from ABS "not only for himself but also for all the newly recruited banking officers" can I, an ex-banker , convince the young man/woman that "making a career in a PSU Bank is still worthy" ? In the above back drop , the young man appeals to the ABS to post an objective write-up on "Life on being a Probationary Officer in a PSU Bank " particularly with reference to career growth , suggesting the effective ways to survive in " banking office politics". I request people like him who are aspiring for a career in PSBs to read my article dated 30-3-2016 in ABS with the title "A Career in PSB brings in both Happiness and Meaning to your Life" in combination with this article.

I do not to wish to repeat what I wrote in the said article. It is not at all my intention that only a career in Public Sector Bank, but not elsewhere, will bring happiness and meaning to life. This write-up is a sincere and honest attempt to broadly address the "concerns" expressed by the young man. Normally the position of the Probationary Officer is the highest level recruitment in a PSB . In 1970s the Probationary Officer position used to be the best alternate career for an unsuccessful aspirant in Civil Services. Now, it may not be the case because of the emergence of varied alternate careers. Yet Probationary Officer's job has now become a most secured alternate job to a less challenging and more monotonous software engineering career.

There is no assured career progression in PSBs unlike in Civil Service, but there is a merit-cum-performance linked system. Now the Promotion Policy is uniform to all Public Sector Banks with minor variations after the approval of respective Boards of the Bank. In my Bank, I have seen many an employee(clerical cadre) reaching the Top Management Grade - General Manager. It was no surprise to me when some of the direct recruited scale II officers hardly crossed scale III or rarely reached scale IV in a career spanning 35 years. At times, not always, proximity to the corridors of power gains precedence over performance and merit in promotions. But, that should not dampen your spirits. Always see the positive side of the picture. A 1981 clerical cadre recruited, and a 1986 scale I promoted officer, I had to wait till 2001 for my turn to Scale II and till 2005 to Scale III. But now, a 2008 batch P.O. became Scale II in 2012 and scale III in 2015. If you have a passion for shouldering higher responsibility and to learn new skills and knowledge and if you are not averse to transfers, even if there is a delay of one year in every promotion , you can become General Manager in a span of 25 years. In the next 5 years, you can become ED and MD too. For your benefit, I quote from a scale III Officer now, who joined as P.O. in 2008 (after a 10 year stint in army) in a Large Branch headed by me-. "Sir, with your advice, I completed, JAIIB, CAIIB, DBM, and DRM. They helped me a lot in securing early promotions. Your advice is a life time remembrance" . There are many men of his tribe in Banks and I wish you also fall into that category soon.

"Politics" as we understand the word in a bad way is not exclusive to "Public Sector Banking" administration. Man is not only a a social animal, but a political being. "Politics" is every where. People working in Banks have not fallen from heaven. The ills plaguing the society have spread to Banks also. You have seen "politics" played in your college life. You have either overcome it or accustomed to it. Same is the case with nepotism and castism. They are no issues of special concern to a probationary officer only.

"Mental torture faced by Honest Officers", and "pathetic HR policies" - You cannot attribute it as an all pervading practice in Banks. They are only an aberration. In my Bank, I have not come across a single individual employee who had been punished for his honesty. If he is found to be not in tune with the Executive, he may be given a transfer. In a public sector organization due process has to be followed even for exonerating an employee/from the charges leveled against him. There may be occasions where willful wrong doers got scot free. But never were the officers punished for the bonifide business decisions that went wrong. Yes, everybody is feeling pinch of "work pressure" in Banks and "not enjoying" holidays even. It is no longer a 10 to 5 job. You are supposed to work for 10 to 8 if you want to succeed. The biggest relief is provided now in 5 day week at least twice in a month. You have to manage your time. There is no way. Let us hope the situation is transitory and it would improve with the massive recruitment taking place in PSBs.

A career oriented probationary officer, in an average career spanning 35 years, must be mentally prepared to work in 15 to 20 places at least. They include a remote rural area, or a place where terrorists/separatists strike, or a place bordering Bangladesh or Pakisthan or a naxal infested Telangana/Chattisgarh for a tenure of 2 years each. If you have flair for acquiring specialized skills, you can work in Foreign Exchange and Treasury Management/Risk Management. If you know the nuances of Credit, you will be the most sought after by the administrative offices. In the first half of your career, you would be given wide exposure in all the front line banking activities as a general officer, credit officer, branch head of small branch, medium branch, large branch and very large branch in rural/semiraban/urban/metro branches. You will come across a wide range of people approaching you to meet their needs. In your second half, with varied experience, you can as well secure a posting in a foreign country where your Bank has a branch and you may head a Zone and later a Circle. You will find that your work place is not just a place of earning but also a place for experiencing the learnings.

PO's Job which is more challenging is no less rewarding. Initially your salary may not be on par with Government Officers or their peers. But later it will be neutralized by way of concessional loans. After a 5 years service, you pay an EMI of Rs.18000/- for a housing loan of Rs.40,00,000/- with a tenure of 360 months whereas your friend working elsewhere pay Rs.38000/- for a similar housing loan with similar repayment period. You are entitled to a car loan with a concessional rate of interest and personal loans with below par market rate. As a branch head you are in the position of a "giver" dispensing credit to the indigent. If you are working for S.B.I. you, along with family, can visit foreign countries also on leave fare concession.

My dear young man, are you still confused about your life in being a Probationary Officer in a PSB or are you eagerly waiting to experience the thrills of your career in one of the biggest PSBs?