Why banks love leaders
Banks are keenly interested in applicants who captained the netball or rowing team, or lorded over a university association. In other words, they prefer applicants with leadership experience and will earmark them as business leaders of the future.
A spokesperson for NAB's People & Culture division says the firm is looking for graduates who have taken a lead role in some aspect of their lives.
"Leadership can be demonstrated through a number of different ways. You don't have to have been a captain of the university cricket team. It might be you've shown leadership through a community activity or implemented a new process as part of a casual job."
ANZ considers applicants who have demonstrated leadership ability within a community, school, university, society, sporting team, religious or cultural group, as well as at work.
"Our assessment process has also been designed to evaluate graduates' leadership skills as well as their longer-term leadership potential. This includes assessment of leadership strengths during group activities and also at interview," explains Sarah O'Brien, ANZ group head of graduate strategy.
NAB seeks out leadership potential via group activities. "We look to see how our potential graduates interact with others - are they being authentic and respectful, do they work together with others?," says the NAB spokesperson.
"At the interview, we will also ask them scenario-based questions to get a better understanding of their own personal leadership style, and how they go about things," he adds.
Westpac asks for evidence of leadership experience even before the interview. "In our application, we ask applicants to discuss their extracurricular activities and how their involvement in these activities would prepare them for working," says Portia Bridges, graduate recruitment manager, Westpac.
Does memberships of university finance clubs give applicants an advantage over their rivals? NAB agrees it's important to be involved in activities associated with the finance industry, however it is not a paramount prerequisite, especially if there is evidence of leadership in other areas.
