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NAB Australia

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4.6
  • #1 in Banking & financial services
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Nemi Safieddin

NAB is one of Australia’s four “big banks” and help all kinds of people reach their financial goals. We are known for having a specific focus on business lending, and this is the area of the bank I joined as a Business and Private Banking graduate

What's your job about?

NAB is one of Australia’s four “big banks” and help all kinds of people reach their financial goals. We are known for having a specific focus on business lending, and this is the area of the bank I joined as a Business and Private Banking graduate. I started in February 2021 and have enjoyed the first 5 months of my program. Being on the graduate programs means a variety of different rotations to take part in, and I am currently at the end of my first one which was Customer Lending Solutions. My work in this team involved helping bankers provide their customers with the facilities they need, by doing all the background work that goes into getting a deal approved.

What's your background?

I grew up in Adelaide and was fortunate enough to remain here for my graduate role, but was open to moving interstate for it and know several people who have done so. Prior to NAB, I attained a Bachelor of Economics (Advanced) and Bachelor of Finance from the University of Adelaide. I also did an internship at another bank one year before starting at NAB, which I think was very beneficial in answering some of my interview questions. It was in my last few years of university that I decided banking was something I was interested in, and I found the NAB graduate role advertised on the Grad Australia website.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

The answer to this question is definitely yes, as the graduate cohort consists of a wide range of backgrounds in relation to both education and job experience. Prior understanding of financial statements and basic accounting would definitely help but aren’t necessary as a majority of what I do is taught on the job. Given the wide variety of teams that you rotate through during the program, I would say the ability to grasp concepts quickly and good communication would be some of the most important skills to excel at this job.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

So far, I would have to say the coolest thing about my job is having a direct impact on a customer getting the loan they require. It’s a great feeling to see something get approved after putting hours of work in. I was also flown to Sydney to do a workshop with several other members of the graduate cohort which was a great experience!

What are the limitations of your job?

One of the main limitations of this job is that it can be stressful at times. It is important to complete tasks quickly and without mistakes in order to keep the customers satisfied. You will also be working with colleagues from all over the country who may not know that you are still quite new.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student…

  • Try to maximise travel and hobbies, as these things become harder to do when you start full-time work
  • Do as many internships as you can, the experience you get and the networking you do can be beneficial in the future
  • Don’t forget to focus on soft skills as I’ve found these to be just as important as technical skills reflected in my grades