No-one needs to be familiarized with the ill-effects of Coronavirus on the global economy anymore. With work norms being turned upside down, every organization, whether large or small and irrespective of the industry vertical, has had to adapt to remote working methods. People are being hired online, they’re being inducted virtually, and everything is being managed through computers and the Internet.

Even institutions like banks have switched to offering virtual introductions to new hires. Sounds weird, right? But it’s true. Several high-ranking financial institutions have stepped forward to offer whatever assistance they can to people entering the financial field. In many countries, finance graduates are being inducted using virtual sessions. And some of the largest banks around the world are using this strategy.

Unsplash | With Coronavirus impacting businesses, banks have started offering virtual introductions to finance graduates

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How flagship banks are holding the hands of new graduates

Banks like Citi Asia Pacific, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Mizuho, Standard Chartered and Deutsche Bank have been organizing online training for fresh graduates to introduce them to learning about the essential operations and procedures that these establishments follow.

• Citi Asia Pacific recently organized virtual recruitment for over 3,000 students from about 450 universities. The event was held for about two weeks on the bank’s analyst insight program – it’s online course that enlightens students on the various Citi teams and operations.

Unsplash | Leading financial institutions like Citi Asia Pacific, Standard Chartered, HSBC and more have started imparting online trainings

• Similarly, Standard Chartered is running an online internship program that consists of 300 applicants from 15 channels. The bank’s head of early careers, Melissa Angerson, said that this continued commitment to their internship program despite the current condition is not only the right thing to do, but it is a stepping stone to the digitalized future of work. The financial institute is recruiting all its 2019 graduates at the end of their programs. They also have over 400 slots for the 2020 interns. The bank is also planning to recruit over 200 students from the Asia space.

• HSBC is organizing a training program on green finance and has also planned online learning schemes about the future of banking, as well as women in banking.

• UBS Group AG has a plan to train and recruit 300 graduates in Singapore for the next 18 months. Training for the first set of 150 people will begin in October, and they will be inducted using a 60/40 work-study plan. The bank has also made a similar plan for 60 graduates in Hong Kong.

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• Not one to stay behind, Deutsche Bank has also launched an online course for students in their penultimate year. This course will expose aspirants to pursue careers in finance. It’s a three days course that consists of resume walkthroughs and interview tips. There’s also a platform where bank officials can interact with graduates. This online course is only meant for China and Hong Kong at present.

Unsplash | What this goes to show is that despite the changes the pandemic is bringing, the world hasn’t stopped functioning

All in all

Although COVID-19 has caused damages, which will take a lot of time to recover from, it doesn’t mean the world has stopped learning and progressing. Everyone is evolving unpredictably. There are several opportunities to grow, and we should be hopeful and try to move forward by learning continually.