One year ago, I applied for the IT Trainee program or Talent Bankers Program (TBP) in IT at Hana Bank Indonesia, and it was an exciting experience. The recruitment process consisted of several stages such as behavior-based assessment, technical test, and user interview. I am happy to share my journey as a Hana Banker, and I hope that my experience can be helpful for those who are interested in pursuing a career in IT.
Applying for the Job. Initially, I found information about a job vacancy at the career development center of my campus. I was interested in applying for the job because I wanted to gain work experience in IT field.
The first step I took was to visit the website of the career development center and fill out the form provided there. The form contained personal information such as full name, place and date of birth, university, faculty and major, as well as GPA. In addition, I was also asked to upload my CV and a recent photo.
After filling out the form, I was delighted to receive a reply e-mail the company confirming my registration and providing additional information about the next selection stages.
HR Short Interview. In November 2021, I had the opportunity to be contacted by an HR representative from Hana Bank regarding my application to TBP. During our conversation, they had asked me in a friendly and professional manner about my academic background and my interest in pursuing a career in IT. I felt that the representative was approachable and had a positive attitude towards my interest in the position.
Furthermore, they provided me with more information about the recruitment process, including the next steps and what to expect in the coming months. I felt that the representative had gone above and beyond their duty to ensure that I fully understood the process and was well prepared for the next stage of the recruitment process.
Their willingness to answer my questions and provide me with guidance on how to prepare for the next stage of the recruitment process had given me a lot of confidence, and I felt more at ease about the whole process. I appreciated the HR representative's genuine concern. I am excited to have proceeded to the next stage of the recruitment process.
Psychometric Assessment. For the TBP IT, we took a behavior-based assessment called the Artic Shores Assessment. It was not your typical boring, pencil-and-paper test but a fun web-based assessment that measured psychological constructs such as personality and cognition. The assessment was administered by Hana Bank using a leadership consultant vendor called DDI, and we were given the option to choose either a morning or afternoon session. Being the early bird that I am, I chose the morning session to ensure that I had a fresh mind and was in a comfortable home setting. The assessment took place on January 31st, 2022.
As I logged into the website, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. I wondered what kind of questions I would be asked and how I would be evaluated. But as I started answering the questions, I found myself getting more and more engrossed in the assessment. The questions were multiple-choice questions and were designed to measure the cognitive ability and problem-solving skills.
As I progressed through the different levels of the assessment, I found myself getting even more excited and a little bit stressed. Despite the challenge, I was motivated to do my best and see how far I could go. The assessment was challenging, but it was also a lot of fun. I felt like I was on an adventure, exploring different aspects of my personality and discovering things about myself that I never knew before.
The assessment was a great opportunity for me to gain insight into various aspects of my personality and identify areas for potential improvement. Although no report was given at the end of the assessment, I felt that I could predict the aspects that I could improve based on my performance during the assessment. If you ever get the chance to take the Artic Shores Assessment, just enjoy and not seriously prepare yourself for an exciting and fun experience.
Technical Test. As someone with a background in physics, I was initially unsure about how well I would do on the technical test for the TBP IT recruitment experience. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the material I was able to recall and apply during the test.
The test covered topics such as computer programming and database management, including algorithms, data types, flowcharts, pseudocode, variables, DBMS, SQL, as well as table structures and data manipulation in DBMS. While some of these topics were familiar to me, there were some areas where I had to rely on my problem-solving skills and critical thinking to arrive at the correct answers.
Although no score was given at the end of the test, I felt positive about my performance and was grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate my skills. The latest that I know is that I correctly answered 18 out of 20 questions, which I humbly believe is a good result. I understand that there is always room for improvement and growth, and I am excited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.
User Interview. To prepare for my interview with Hana Bank, I conducted some research on their website and reviewed my notes. The interview was conducted in Bahasa Indonesia, with an English introduction. The interview took place on March 26th, 2022. Overall, the experience was valuable and helped me identify both my strengths and areas for improvement. I also practiced answering common interview questions such as "Tell me about yourself" and "What are your strengths and weaknesses?". Additionally, I prepared to answer the question "Why do you want to pursue a career in IT?".
During the interview, the interviewer asked about my experience in data and modeling, which are skills I developed during my time studying physics. I shared my experience using mathematical models to understand physical phenomena and how this could be applied to data analysis. I also mentioned that while my knowledge of databases is not extensive, I have an understanding of database management systems (DBMS) and have used SQL to extract data from a database for data analysis tasks.
Overall, I felt a bit unsure about discussing my technical skills and how they could contribute to the IT team at Hana Bank. However, I believe that my eagerness to learn, coupled with my foundation in physics and modeling, would allow me to quickly adapt to new challenges and contribute to the success of the team.
After the interview process, I received correspondence from Hana Bank regarding the result of my application through text, email, and phone call. I was thrilled to hear that I had been selected to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process, which is the medical check-up.
Medical Check-Up. For the next stage of the recruitment process, I had to undergo a medical check-up. The check-up required me for fasting for 12 hours and travel to the capital city of my district. The check-up included a general physical examination, blood tests, urine tests, and X-ray examinations.
Before the check-up, I made sure to eat a healthy meal to prepare my body for the fasting period and to drink enough quality mineral water to stay hydrated and healthy. During the check-up, I met with a doctor who asked me about my medical history and performed a physical examination. After the examination, I had blood and urine samples taken, which were sent to a laboratory for analysis. I also had an X-ray taken to check my lungs.
Overall, the check-up was a bit tiring, but it was an important step towards being selected for the position. I was happy to have passed the check-up and proceeded to the final stage of the recruitment process.
In conclusion, the process of applying for a job or program can be exciting and challenging. It requires a lot of preparation, research, and self-reflection. However, the experience can be very rewarding, and it can help you grow both personally and professionally. I hope that my experiences can serve as a helpful guide for those who are interested in pursuing a career in IT or any other field. Remember to always be curious, take risks, and have an open mind. Good luck!
