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Investment bank Updated: 13 Mar 2017

BBVA searching for young talent for its digital transformation

The key to have the best professional team requires attracting, training and retaining talent. Aware of this, BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking, BBVA’s wholesale banking area, is announcing the fifth edition of its Graduate Training Programme, aiming at recruiting and developing the best junior talent available.

Young talent
Elisabet Furió
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The financial sector is experiencing essential transformations as a result of the unstoppable technological innovation process it is facing. In this context, banks invest in programs aiming at attracting young graduates in up to date and innovative programs, in exchange for the experience and guidance they need to kick start their careers.

In response to this change, BBVA rolled out in 2012 the first Graduate Training Programme, a global annual initiative that this year is celebrating is fifth edition. Already, 200 junior professionals from 12 countries in Asia, America and Europe have been able to improve their skills thanks to this initiative. Members of the previous editions have already joined different business units, thus contributing to build BBVA’s future across the globe.

Young talent 2

The purpose is to bring in the best junior talent for BBVA, train it and turn them into the leaders of the future. Candidate profiles include not only economists, but also mathematicians, physicists or engineers, capable of contributing to the Group’s digital transformation.

Financial reports

Differences between a retail bank and an investment bank

According to Investorpedia, retail banks are banks devoted to provide services to particular savers and investors and small and medium sized enterprises. On the other hand, wholesale banks specialize in the provision of services in large operations, generally with large companies and organizations.

Although financial institutions today specialize in a certain type of activity, this has not always been the case. In fact, it was not until after the crash of 1929 that these two types of banking began to operate separately.

This took place in 1933 through the Glass-Steagal Law, which was promoted by Roosevelt as part of a package to stimulate the economy (The New Deal). This law was abolished by Bill Clinton in 1999, which allowed both models of banking to be housed under the same institution once again. However, after the financial crisis that devastated banks in 2008, these activities currently operate separately in most cases.

The main difference between both banking sectors is that they each specialize in different types of customers, but this is not the only difference, Let's take a look at other things that distinguish them.

Although BBVA provides information about the program in universities and through the different employment fairs in which it participates, the Graduate Training Programme usually starts accepting applications officially in the month of September. Candidates can register through BBVA’s global employment portal, through which the Group also posts all its job openings.

The record 3,380 applications received for the Graduate Training Programme 2016-2017 edition speak loud and clear about the tremendous interest that the initiative stirs among graduate students. After the screening process, 14 of all these applicants will join the company on September 2017.

How does the Graduate Training Programme work

The successful candidates start the program by going an immersion week course at BBVA’s training course in La Moraleja. Throughout these days, they learn first-hand about the bank’s different businesses from some of the company’s investment banking professionals, including the Global Markets, Global Clients, Global Finance and Global Transaction Banking departments and Engineering, Risk, Finance or Legal functions.

Participants of BBVA's Graduate Training Programme 2016-2017 talk about their experience.

Upon completing the immersion program, the successful candidates have to go a one-year personalized rotation plan, designed to conform to the preferences and develop the skills of each individual, adapted to fit the needs of BBVA’s wholesale area. Each candidate will be assigned with a coach and a mentor that will assess their progress and support them throughout the process.

BBVA and its commitment to training

Human capital

BBVA: Tech talent wanted

Fundamental transformations are underway in the banking and financial industries as a result of the unstoppable technological innovation they face. Demand for digital products and services is on the rise and consumers are adopting them, with greater and greater ease. This significant change in customer habits and in the use of business channels has numerous implications for banks, especially regarding the need to attract people with strong technical skills.

Although the BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking’s Graduate Training Programme was a pioneer initiative within the Group, other areas have already started taking it as a yardstick to develop their own programs. This is the case of Ingenium, the program that BBVA’s risks area is implementing, and which is aimed to youths with strong analytical skills and a passion for the financial world. Or the Engineering Talent Discovery Programme, in the bank’s technology area, which seeks to recruit young graduates that want to develop their career in a global bank that is leading BBVA’s digital transformation process.

BBVA’s commitment to provide continual training programs to its employees is one of the cornerstones of its strategy. Within the Talent and Culture model, the purpose of these training programs is to ensure that professionals acquire the skills required for the correctly implementing and supporting the Group’s strategy and that they are ready to keep making headway in the transformation towards a customer-centric model in a digital environment.

To stay up to date on the latest career opportunities at BBVA, please visit BBVA Careers and follow us through LinkedIn.