Student Internship Even Closer to Real Work at Erste Bank

This year, Erste Bank launched a three-month student internship program called ‘General Rehearsal’, and seven students who participated in this program over the summer are more than satisfied with the skills acquired, as well as the working atmosphere within the company.

The program was designed in collaboration with the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb and had two goals. The first was to attract the best fifth-year students who are just finishing their studies and looking for jobs, and to motivate them to become part of the Erste Bank team. The second was to better familiarize potential employees through a longer internship and to enable organizational units looking for employees in the second half of the year to have ready candidates. This is a paid professional internship lasting three summer months, launched in June to allow students to intern throughout the summer.

– The internship is designed to include an educational component consisting of an introductory lecture and soft skills training, working with a mentor, and involvement in the daily work of a specific organizational unit. Before engagement, students underwent a selection process in which we selected the seven best candidates. They were assigned according to the results of the selection process, but also according to the needs of the organizational units. In the future, we hope to expand cooperation to other faculties that show interest in such collaboration – explains Marija Markus from the Human Resources Sector responsible for the Selection and Development Service.

Marija Crnjak, director of the Human Resources Sector, adds that at the level of Erste Group in Croatia, about 80 interns go through, but that this program is designed somewhat differently.

– Its goal, as its name suggests, is to present the real business life as best as possible to the best students. This includes a good mentor, practical work, and first small but real responsibilities – she says.

Individual Work

The earnings that students made were symbolic, but business training programs, which are so essential in today’s changing business world, are immeasurably more valuable for their future. A large part of the work was also done by mentors. Individual work certainly contributed significantly to the positive atmosphere as well as the overall impression, both for the students and for the employees of Erste Bank who participated in the project.

– The student I worked with was extremely active in her work, independent, quick, and accurate in completing all tasks. I spoke with colleagues in the Small and Medium Clients Directorate of the Commercial Center (KC) Zagreb, and they all share my opinion. She went through all segments within the KC (Front office, Mid office, and Junior Mid office), and we tried to involve her as much as possible in each part of the job to see her abilities and skills, and she justified the trust placed in her in every segment. She is maximally engaged, collegial, kind, pleasant, and communicative. I had the opportunity to be a mentor to some colleagues, and this level of engagement and way of working is rarely found – says Petra Pavunc, a mentor from the Economic Sector about one of the candidates.

For Erste Bank, a good word that their protégés will spread further through word of mouth is particularly important.

– I applied to participate in the ‘General Rehearsal’ program out of a desire to learn about the way of working in a bank. The program is designed differently from the classic one-month internship and offers additional content such as workshops and training. I am extremely satisfied with the three-month period spent in the bank, the Compliance Sector I chose, as well as the very useful and practical workshops. The organizational culture particularly impressed me, and I understood why Erste Bank is at the top of the list of the most desirable employers in Croatia. I believe that the internship at Erste Bank is a kind of bonus and stimulus for the future because I gained concrete insight into the operations of the sector that interests me and recognized the bank as an institution where I could and would love to work – says Tomislav Korotaj, the only man who participated in the program this year, a student of the Master’s degree in Business Economics at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, majoring in Accounting and Auditing.

Students Also Evaluate

All students who participated in the program were given the opportunity at the end of the internship to express their opinions about the program in which they participated in a completely transparent manner. They evaluated the mentors, the quantity and quality of acquired knowledge, the working atmosphere, the perspective of the program, satisfaction with earnings and free education, and the company’s image.

– As a final year student of the Faculty of Economics (majoring in Finance), the Erste Bank internship ‘General Rehearsal’ represented a great opportunity for me to acquire knowledge, i.e., to gain a broader picture of the bank’s operations. My internship was assigned to the Small Business Directorate, where all employees made an effort to explain everything that interested me, as well as to give me various tasks to keep my workday filled. During the internship, I had the opportunity to gain insight into the work of other departments within the bank, which I can thank my dedicated mentor for. I particularly like the encouragement of cooperation and unity among employees at the bank. The internship brought me a positive experience, and the knowledge I acquired during the internship will certainly help me in my future work – said student Katarina Rogina.

What Are the Advantages

The approach of the people, willingness to help, teamwork, a pleasant and friendly atmosphere throughout the internship, familiarization with the way of working and the history of Erste Bank, innovations that its employees have realized and launched on the market, as well as non-verbal communication and efficient teamwork are the most important advantages of the ‘General Rehearsal’ highlighted by student Matea Babec.

– When I saw the announcement for the ‘General Rehearsal’ internship, I did not hesitate. My first thought was that it lasts the whole summer, but I knew I would gain experience and at the same time earn some pocket money. I am very satisfied after these three months because besides meeting wonderful people I will remember for a lifetime, my mentor taught me responsibility towards work, and I also gained a dear friend. I would like to tell future generations of the ‘General Rehearsal’ not to hesitate to apply because all in all, it is not bad to say that you had an internship in a bank, and all you need is to be exactly who you are – adds another intern Ivana Svetina.