Overview:
- IBF is launching a three-step program to support fresh graduates entering the job market.
- The program includes mobilising employer networks, mentoring students on GenAI, and matching them with jobs.
- IBF acts as a central connector, offering access to 4,000 jobs aligned with the number of finance graduates.
- The initiative aims to reduce job search anxiety and improve employment outcomes for fresh grads.
- Future plans include an app to streamline job matching through networking and career advisory support.
The Institute of Banking & Finance (IBFSG) is actively intervening to alleviate job market anxiety among fresh graduates. Many new graduates currently face concerns about securing employment in the finance sector. IBFSG launched a three-step programme to help them tackle these issues.
The organisation mobilises its extensive employment network to connect graduates with hiring employers. Students can access better connections to companies through IBFSG, rather than relying solely on individual applications. They also mentor students, ensuring their GenAI skills align with employer expectations.
Paul Teo, Deputy Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications at IBFSG, explained the current landscape. He stated, “There isn’t this worry of looking for jobs. I think they’re probably just mismatched and looking in the wrong places.” IBF aims to bridge this gap effectively.
The final step involves directly matching students to employers through dedicated networking sessions and coffee chats. IBF career advisors play a crucial role in this process. With approximately 4,000 jobs available, matching the number of students in the banking area, IBFSG seeks to speed up job placement for new professionals, as revealed to BackgroundBriefing.news.
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About the speaker:
Paul Teo
Deputy Director, Marketing & Corp Comms
The Institute of Banking & Finance Singapore
Paul Teo serves as Deputy Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications at The Institute of Banking & Finance Singapore (IBFSG), a position he has held since September 2018. Before joining IBFSG, he spent 11 years as an Assistant Director at Workforce Singapore, from October 2007 to September 2018. Teo’s professional expertise includes advertising, digital marketing, and e-commerce, contributing significantly to his communication and outreach roles within both public and financial sector organisations.
5W1H summary
| Category | Answer Points |
| Who | 1. IBF intervenes. |
| 2. Fresh graduates. | |
| 3. Employers hiring. | |
| What | 1. Tackle job anxiety. |
| 2. Three-step program. | |
| 3. Find jobs faster. | |
| When | 1. Currently addressing. |
| 2. Ongoing program. | |
| 3. Near future app. | |
| Where | 1. Financial banking area. |
| 2. The market. | |
| Why | 1. Address anxiety. |
| 2. Resolve mismatches. | |
| 3. Help graduates. | |
| How | 1. Mobilize network. |
| 2. Mentor students. | |
| 3. Match through sessions |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the current challenge fresh graduates face in the job market? Fresh graduates currently face anxiety when looking for jobs in finance, as they might perceive the market as not very positive.
2. How is IBF intervening to help fresh graduates? IBF is intervening with a three-step program: mobilising its employment network, mentoring students, and matching them with employers.
3. What specific skills are employers looking for from students? Employers are looking for students with GenAI skills, but there is a need to align what students learn with what employers are actually seeking.
4. How many jobs are currently available in the financial banking area? There are 4,000 jobs available in the market right now, which is approximately the same number of students in the financial banking area.
5. What is IBF’s primary role in this initiative? IBF acts as the “playmaker,” bringing resources together to help address job anxiety and facilitate faster job placement for fresh graduates.
Transcript of the conversation
Yeah, I think currently if you are a fresh grad looking for a job you might read the news and think that everything is not as rosy as you think it should be. So what IBF is coming in to intervene to help fresh graduates tackle some of these issues and to help them we have done a three-step program to put together. One is that we will mobilise our employment network. A lot of our employers are currently still hiring. There are plenty of jobs out there. If today you’re looking, you might be sending out resumes, connecting with people on LinkedIn. But there are better ways to do it. With IBF, we have them at our doorstep and we can connect you with them. Second, we are able to mentor the students. So a lot of students learn about GenAI in school. Employers are looking for students with GenAI skills but they’re not talking the same language. So we need to get the students to be able to know what of GenAI the employers are talking about adaptability. Finally is match. We will work with the employers and our career advisor, IBF career advisor team, to match the students to the employers through specific networking sessions, coffee chats and in the near future we might be delivering delivering even an app to match this service.
Awesome. And what does IBF bring to this conversation that students couldn’t find in other organisations?
IBF is the playmaker. So now we are bringing all this resources together and with 4,000 jobs available in the market right now which is about the same amount of students that we have in financial banking area. It matches. So there isn’t this worry of looking for jobs. I think they’re probably just mismatched and looking in the wrong places.
Right. And how will you like what what are the outcomes that you’re driving towards?
We hope to address the anxiety that fresh grads face now for job look while they’re looking for jobs in finance. And hopefully this programs will help them find their jobs faster. And maybe look at alternative jobs or similar jobs in the area.