Arundhati Bhattacharya is ambassador for its SBI PO recruitment ad

Arundhati Bhattacharya herself was part of the 1977 batch of probationary officers

State Bank of India (SBI) put out a big advertisement seeking probationary officers for the bank. Half the advertisement has a smiling picture of the bank’s chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya, who herself was part of the 1977 batch of probationary officers.

India’s largest bank plans to recruit 2,200 probationary officers this year. “Are you next?” the ad says, as it offers to create “leaders of tomorrow”. Listing the reasons why one should join the bank, the ad says the topmost emolument could be “overseas exposure”. SBI has 196 foreign offices in 36 countries, which can offer global positions through “overseas postings even at an early career stage”. 

The forms for the exam are already out and will be available till 6 March. Probationary Officers recruitment is a direct entry point into the bank’s management cadre. 

As SBI offers the full array of financial services, the new entrants will get an opportunity work in the various departments, ranging from personal banking, rural banking, corporate banking, credit, forex and treasury, amongst others.