Bank and finance company ads in Sri Lanka keep using the same handful of titles: Junior Executive, Branch Executive, Customer Service Officer, Relationship Officer. The titles sound similar, yet the jobs and the entry requirements differ. This guide uses three live advertisements from this month to show what employers ask for, and explains the qualification route that most of them mention.
Branch roles you will see advertised
Most entry and mid-level banking jobs sit in the branch. The common ones:
- Teller or customer service officer: cash handling, account opening and answering customer questions at the counter.
- Junior executive, branch banking: the same counter work, with sales targets and accountability for cash and records.
- Private banking or relationship role: bringing in customers, growing deposits and lending, and supporting the lending process.
- Branch executive at a finance company: credit, recovery, deposits, and leasing and hire purchase.
What 3 current advertisements ask for
Pan Asia Bank is recruiting a Junior Executive for branch banking at 4 branches. It asks for a full or part IBSL banking qualification, 2 to 3 years in commercial banking, and knowledge of foreign exchange transactions, regulatory compliance and internal controls.
The bank’s Private Banking Junior Executive post at Cinnamon Gardens adds monthly targets for new customers, deposits and lending, plus a customer service score of 70% or above.
Central Finance Company asks its Jaffna Branch Executive for a degree in banking, economics or business management, a working knowledge of leasing and hire purchase, and fluency in Tamil, Sinhala and English. Experience in credit, recovery and deposits is an added advantage.
Read together, the 3 ads show a pattern. Banks want a professional qualification and proven branch experience. Finance companies lean on a degree and product knowledge.
The IBSL route
The Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL) was set up in 1964 as the Bankers Training Institute and is now incorporated by an Act of Parliament. It runs the qualification that bank ads name most often. Its Certificate in Banking and Finance (CBF) is the entry level. The professional programme has 2 stages: the Diploma in Banking and Finance (DBF) and the Higher Diploma in Banking and Finance (HDBF). IBSL’s guidelines for accredited education centres list each stage at 1 year.
Because ads accept a “full or part” qualification, finishing the DBF while you work can already count. IBSL also publishes an exemptions policy for people who hold certain other professional qualifications, so check it before you enrol if you have studied accounting or management. Associate membership (AIB) is open to those who finish the diploma-level exams and meet IBSL’s experience rules, which changed from 1 July 2025. Check the IBSL website for the current criteria. IBSL is at 80A, Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 08.
How to get branch experience first
The Pan Asia ads ask for 2 to 3 years of experience, so most applicants start lower. Customer service officer, banking assistant and cashier posts are the usual doorway, and our banking assistant listing shows what an entry-level ad looks like. Use those years to study for the CBF or DBF, and keep notes on the targets you hit and the customers you served.
Bank or finance company?
Banks are licensed commercial banks. Finance companies are licensed finance companies, and Central Finance states in its ad that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka supervises it. The work overlaps in deposits and lending. Finance company roles lean harder on leasing, hire purchase and recovery, while bank branch roles carry more counter operations and foreign exchange work.
Preparing your application
- Match your CV to the exact list in the ad. If it names foreign exchange, KYC or cash handling, say where you did that work.
- Give numbers: targets met, customers served, errors avoided.
- State your IBSL stage and exam year.
- Read our CV guide and bank interview guide before you send anything.
Prasad Fernando is the CEO of Skysol Solutions and the owner of CareerLK.com and CourseLK.com.