Are you intending to apply for a job at a Singaporean bank this year? You are not alone – an increasing number of candidates are considering leaving global firms for local banks.
Helpfully, for those of you who end up interviewing with OCBC, Samuel Tsien, the firm’s CEO, has told the Straits Times about some of the key skills and personality traits that he most admires in his employees. Here’s how to impress at an OCBC job interview:
Show you appreciate the value of mistakes
Don’t just big up your achievements at the interview – give an example of how you succeeded after making a mistake. Tsien told the Straits Times that having a more tolerant attitude towards mistakes would promote innovation, creativity and eventual success. “I would go beyond encouraging people to learn from their mistakes. I would rather put it this way – be more tolerant of mistakes, from yourself as well as others.”
Demonstrate your cross-cultural expertise
Like DBS and UOB, OCBC is expanding regionally, in particular in Greater China. This means OCBC needs people “with more regional exposure, who have a deeper understanding of different business practices and a greater tolerance towards cultural biases”, Tsien told the newspaper. So show you can read between the lines when dealing with clients and colleagues and understand the nuances of cross-cultural communication.
Stress your team-working skills
Tsien likes to employ people who are grateful for the work that their colleagues put in – showing “appreciation” is essential in banking, he says. So when framing your interview answers, acknowledge the contribution of others to your accomplishments – don’t just say you did it all yourself.
Be confident
Above all, don’t be hesitant with your OCBC job interview answers. Tsien says two essential traits are prerequisites of success in banking: self-confidence and determination.
Meanwhile:
We noted yesterday that UBS is ramping up its mainland hiring. Now it’s confirmed the numbers: 600 more people in the next five years. (Bloomberg)
TPG Capital is hiring Jin-Yong Cai, a former Goldman Sachs partner and former head of the World Bank’s private-sector investment arm. (Wall Street Journal)
Julius Baer has named Torsten Linke as new head of private banking for Southeast Asia. (Business Times)
China’s cabinet is set to take on a bigger role in overseeing financial markets after mistakes made by regulators. (Reuters)
How AGIC benefits from having an office in Germany. (Finance Asia)
Why do Hong Kongers listen to bores who say that China’s to blame for global market woes? (South China Morning Post)
Hong Kong kids get ‘Singapore-style’ education. (Straits Times)
Related articles:
Stressed Asian corporate bankers seek sanctuary at local firms More corporate bankers in Asia are deserting global banks for local firms offering less regulatory pressure, more autonomy, and better work-life balance.
Six front-office banking jobs in Asia that you can get before Chinese New YearIf you are looking to steal a march on rival candidates by applying for a banking job in January, you have a few options in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Half of DBS jobs now outside Singapore as bank ramps up regional recruitmentLooking for a job at DBS? You should search right across Asia, not just in Singapore.
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