My placement experience at RBL Bank | Tushar’s story

This was the first time RBL was coming for placements to our campus. A renowned name, well known for its work culture and diversity of roles, my interest was piqued. During my preparation I had a steep learning curve and would like to share my placement experience at RBL Bank.

On D-day, I was calm and composed. I made special effort to keep stress at bay. The recruitment process is not an exam that you can mug-up all the concepts in a day and then write everything down the other day. The element of surprise is much more grave in reality. You cannot anticipate with certainty what they might ask. So I recalled all the technical concepts, read newspapers and updated myself with trending economic topics. Another thing that I focussed on was my CV. I used to maintain a dairy during my internships in which I noted daily objectives. This helped me recall my work right before an interview. Also, I saw some common puzzles to recall their solving strategies (TED-Ed has an entire episode series on this if someone doesn't find it interactive to read a puzzle's solution).

The selection process for RBL Bank:

The selection process consisted of 3 rounds:

1. CV shortlisting
2. Group discussion
3. Interview

1. CV Shortlisting

The process began with shortlisting of CV in which 24 students were selected. There are certain things one can learn from my placement experience at RBL Bank.

Things to remember:

• Make sure it’s updated and has every important detail of your career.

• Make sure the resume is crisp and is aligned with the job description of the role offered.

• Internships, certifications, and achievements matter a lot, whether big or small.

• Highlight diversity in your resume, if possible.

2. Group Discussion

In the GD round, 3 groups were formed with 8 students each. Since my group gave a tough competition, the GD was a little too rigorous. Every member put across succinct points. Still only a total of 10 students made it to the next round.

Things to remember:

• The way you deliver your ponts in front of peers and the moderator is crucial. 

• Maintain a balanced tone. Don't be too loud that you sound boisterous or too soft that you seem underconfident. 

• Use fewer words to express yourself, but make sure that every word carries meaning.

• Never interrupt anyone in between, wait for the other person to finish first.

• It's a myth that if you start first, you'll have a stronger chance to get selected. I never started first. I assimilated my thoughts on a paper, observed the flow of the discussion for 20-30 seconds and then began.

3. Interview

All the shortlisted 10 students went through to the first interview round. The final 4 shortlisted then later faced the final HR round. The interview was rigorous and long. 

Things to remember:

• Your experience matters a lot. Since I had an experience prior to my MBA as a Consultant in Hitachi Systems, they asked a lot about my job role and performance.

• Internships are crucial. I did 4 internships, so they were very eager to know how I managed all of them. 

• Read and solve puzzles to warm-up your analytical skills. Because if you have read some cases, you at least know how to approach them.

• They asked in detail about my projects on Analytics, what was my approach and the results I got from it. 

• Questions on family background and hobbies are very likely. Be prepared for them.

• The panel discussed the books I read for quite some time. 

I am really looking forward to their 15 days orientation program in Mumbai and to learn from the team there. At last, my consistent efforts of brushing up my knowledge of statistics and the habit of reading newspapers daily helped me to get the job of a Credit Risk Analyst Manager at RBL Bank. Above all, confidence is the key, no doubt in that!

I wish everyone appearing for an interview the very best. Believe in yourself, have faith in your preparation and give it your best shot.