Because of Singapore’s status as a leading global financial centre, banking and finance jobs are in extremely high demand, especially for skilled graduates. For instance, despite the recent economic downturn, some banking and finance jobs like operational risk managers, credit analysts, and private bankers remain in high demand.
So, you may have graduated recently and you’re wondering what the best way is to break into the banking industry. One way in which you could do it is by applying for an entry-level banking or finance job and work your way through the ranks. But, as a graduate, you’re in a fortunate position, so another way that you could do it is by applying for one of the many bank graduate programmes in Singapore. This may just be the springboard you need to get into one of the in-demand banking jobs in Singapore.
These bank graduate programmes offer entry-level banking jobs and are designed to introduce you to multiple areas of the bank and, in the process, build up your skills, knowledge, and experience. Also, they’re reserved for freshly graduated candidates starting immediately out of university, and they offer many of the same benefits that you get with a normal job.
So, whether you’re looking for entry-level banking jobs or bank jobs for fresh graduates, one of the bank graduate programmes in Singapore maybe the way to go. But where do you start searching?
With this post, we’ll look at:
- Exactly what the bank graduate programmes in Singapore are
- What the benefits of the bank graduate programmes in Singapore are
- What some bank graduate programmes in Singapore are.
- What you can expect to earn from these bank graduate programmes in Singapore
You may also like:
High-Paying Part-Time Jobs in Singapore
What Is A Bank Graduate Programme And How Does It Work?
So, what exactly is a bank graduate programme and how does it work? As the name suggests, banks typically offer these entry-level banking jobs to new graduates who are interested and wish to work in banking jobs in Singapore. So, if you’re a fresh graduate and you’ve got an interest in pursuing a career in banking, this is a perfect way to gain experience in the banking industry and open doors to further, more lucrative opportunities.
Lasting anything from 12 to 24 months, these programs’ goal is to introduce new graduates to the banking and finance industry, and they often incorporate a fair amount of training that can include anything from generic training sessions, specific training on banking systems, and even full networking events. These training sessions and conferences make graduate programs an excellent way for you to develop the skills and experience necessary to move further up the ladder in the banking world.
To provide the best training, these programs will typically be across a bank’s retail, business, and wealth divisions, but can also include other departments like digital banking, analytics, pricing, and marketing. Unless it’s a specific program focused on just one aspect of banking, it also usually incorporates some form of rotation between these different departments.
For example, you might start in the retail division of a bank and work and train there for a few months. After this, you might rotate to another division like finance or collections where you spend another few months. Many of these programmes let you rotate four times or more through different department in the time you’re on the programme.
Not only does this make for a perfect learning opportunity, but it also gives you an idea of what department in the bank you like most and where you’d most prefer to work after the programme. Ultimately, you gain experience in every sphere of banking which prepares you for landing the role you’ve always dreamed of after completion of the graduate programme.

What Are The Benefits Of Experiencing A Bank Graduate Programme In Singapore?
Now that we’ve seen that a bank graduate programme is an excellent opportunity for you to prepare for a career in the banking industry, let’s look at some of the common benefits that these bank graduate programmes in Singapore offer.
For one, you’ll gain invaluable skills and experience in the banking industry. You will also gain insight into banking, its different departments, and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. In other words, you’ll build a solid foundation to enter and pursue a career in the banking industry. This not only makes you a better candidate that stands out among the competition, but also prepares you for many other bank and finance jobs out there.
Another benefit of bank graduate programmes is that they provide career specific training. In simple terms, you get the training necessary for the job in banking that you want to do. This means thank you don’t waste any time on training that you don’t need and the training that you do is perfectly optimized and structured in order to ensure the best outcome for candidates.
In addition to your training, you also receive mentorship from senior colleagues within the banking industry. Remember, these colleagues have been in the industry for far longer than you have, so they have a wealth of experiences and a lot of knowledge to share. This can, ultimately, be invaluable later on in your career, even if you don’t end up pursuing a job in banking.
Last but not least, is that you receive a salary while you’re enrolled in one of the bank graduate programmes in Singapore. Unlike an internship, though, you will receive the full salary that a normal entry-level employee in the banking sector earns. You’ll also, in some cases, be entitled to the benefits that other employees are entitled to. We’ll deal with the salaries of the bank graduate programmes in Singapore a bit later on.
For all these reasons, bank graduate programmes in Singapore are quite sought after and it’s a way that companies fill valued roles with top talent.
What Are the Best Bank Graduate Programmes In Singapore?
We’ve now looked what these programmes are, how they work, and some of their benefits, so you’re probably excited to get started. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the available bank graduate programmes in Singapore.
DBS Bank
DBS Bank offers two graduate programmes in Singapore. The first is the Graduate Associate – Operations Programme, a 24-month programme where you’ll undergo rigorous training to build operations in the banking and finance industry. You’ll also undergo training in project management and obtain personal development skills in order to become an effective manager that increases your potential to take on future leadership roles. The necessary mentorship and networking opportunities to build your network is also part of the programme.
The second programme is the Graduate Associate – SME Banking Programme. In this 12-month programme you get classroom training that builds your credit and financial knowledge, job rotations between the different departments, as well as on-the-job training as a relationship manager. The programme therefore aims to equip you with all the requisite skills to become a SME banker, and with its personal development and networking opportunities, you’ll gain the skills and experience necessary to help SMEs grow their business.
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank’s graduate programme prepares you for a career in banking, whether your interests lie in investment banking, asset management, transaction banking, technology, or any of their other departments. Irrespective of the department, you’ll benefit from training that develops you personally and professionally and gives you everything you need to succeed in an international banking environment.
Your training with Deutsche Bank will start off with a comprehensive induction that gives you a broad business, technical, and product knowledge. During the induction you gain a thorough understanding in your chosen area of expertise while a schedule of networking events will help you to build business relationships that are invaluable for your future.
After the induction, you get fast-paced, interactive, and ongoing technical and soft skills training, and you work alongside and learn from talented and experienced colleagues in a friendly and supportive environment. This all prepares you for a career in banking where you can generate innovative and effective solutions for clients.
To apply, you need to go through Deutsche Bank’s extensive recruitment process.
OCBC Bank
OCBC Bank’s Graduate Talent Programme was specifically developed for outstanding graduates to give their careers a head-start by providing a solid foundation in the banking and financial services industry.
To apply for this programme, you don’t need to have a business or economics degree and it’s open to graduates from all academic disciplines. The 24-month custom training programme gives you a strong foundation in banking regardless of your academic background and prepares you for division specific roles within the bank.
During the programme you’ll rotate through different banking divisions like Branch Banking, Compliance, and Operations, and you’ll get to work on projects that give you a wider perspective than that of your usual roles. And as is the case with many of the other graduate programmes, you’ll also develop further skills through a series of workshops, networking, and mentoring sessions.
Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered’s international graduate programme is an immersive, collaborative, and global programme that will prepare you for a prosperous career in banking or finance.
It’s probably also one of the more extensive programmes that offers several graduate streams including everything from Financial Markets, Global Banking, Corporate Finance, to Transaction Banking, Wealth Management, and Retail Banking.
In each of these streams, your training will be focused on your chosen stream, but you’ll also have rotations to other connected streams that will give you a deeper context and understanding of your role and will give you hands-on experience of delivering solutions to customers.
Before these rotations, though, you’ll undergo an induction that comprises of classroom sessions, case studies, and technical training related to your stream.
Maybank
Maybank’s Global Maybank Apprentice Programme, is a 24-month development programme that applies comprehensive development principles in combination with classroom and field learning to prepare graduates to have opportunities and career acceleration in the banking industry.
In this programme, you will receive on the job training and be involved in special projects. Also, you’ll get special guidance and mentoring from experienced mentors. On completion of the programme, you will have a placement opportunity at Maybank officers in Indonesia, Maybank headquarters in Malaysia, or at a Maybank group subsidiary in an ASEAN country.
Bank of Singapore
Bank of Singapore offers three programmes that give you training in business specific disciplines and will allow you to gain valuable insights into the banking industry and be part of a global institution.
First up is the 24-month Corporate Analyst Programme, where you get the opportunity to experience four rotations across corporate and banking functions within the bank. Through this, you’ll get a better understanding of how various departments work together and execute decisions. You’ll work on live projects and in dynamic teams in order to get the necessary exposure and skills to advance your career.
Next up is the Marketing Associate Programme, where you’ll develop the skills necessary to be the point of contact for private banking clients. You’ll receive extensive training and rotational opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary for your private banking career.
Finally, the LEAD programme is designed to develop you into a private banker that can establish relationships with clients beyond banking. You’ll be provided with the opportunity to build up your business acumen and market intelligence and you’ll also be given exposure to senior management and develop your entrepreneurship skills.
BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas’s APAC Graduate Programme is a two-year graduate programme that has been designed to give you the support and development needed to start a successful career in financial services. With this programme, you’ll join the bank in one of several business areas or support functions and take on real responsibility from day one.
Here, you’ll be able to join in the analyst stream or an associate stream, although the associate stream does need some experience. Irrespective of the stream, though, the programme starts with a comprehensive induction, whereafter you’ll receive business specific technical and financial training and personal skills development that’s aimed to equip you with the knowledge you need to further your career.
During the two years in the programme, you’ll also get further training to build your expertise and you have the opportunity to experience other parts of the business through cross-entity projects. Along the way, you’ll be mentored by experienced managers and team members who make sure that you stay on track.
UBS Bank
With UBS Bank’s Graduate Talent Programme, you’ll develop your skills and experience while also building your network to further your career in banking. Also, you’ll work alongside experts, so you’ll be mentored and treated as a valued member of their team.
The programme gives you the opportunity to gain skills and experience in several business areas including Global Wealth Management, Asset Management, and Global Banking.
What Is The Average Salary Range For Bank Graduate Programmes In Singapore?
Now that you’ve seen some of the available bank graduate programmes in Singapore, you’re probably wondering what you will be paid if you apply and is accepted into one of these programmes. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the salaries for these programmes.
Bank Graduate Programme in Singapore
Average Annual Salary
DBS Bank Graduate Programme
S$60,000
DBS Graduate Associate Programme
S$45,600
OCBC Bank Graduate Programme
S$60,000 – S$72,000
Standard Chartered International Graduate
S$62,400
UBS Wealth Management Graduate Trainee
S$60,000 – S$66,000
Keep in mind that these are only some of the salaries that are available, and that others will probably be in the same range. What is important, though, is that these salaries are in line with many other entry-level banking jobs, or even associate level jobs. For example, an associate in transaction banking operations earns an average of S$69 000 per year and an associate in loan administration earns about S$ 68 000 per year.
This means, that by joining one of the bank graduate programmes in Singapore, you’ll earn a good salary, often times more than other entry level positions.
Final Thoughts
There you go, now you have a guide to the bank graduate programmes in Singapore. As you can see, there are many available that are structured and designed with the graduate in mind. No matter which one you choose, all involve a core element of training and rotation so that you can see and experience different departments of the banking system and how they work.
So, the last question remaining is where you apply for one of these banking jobs in Singapore. A perfect place to start your journey is by looking for open positions on GrabJobs’s platform. Here you’ll be able to find bank graduate programmes in Singapore as well as other entry-level banking jobs and bank jobs for fresh graduates.
If you need more information on graduate programmes, entry-level banking jobs or other jobs for graduates, visit our website for more details.