As one of the few bond-free scholarships available, competition for the OCBC Local Undergraduate Scholarship is high. The bank is not just looking for promising individuals who will work for OCBC later (though employment may be offered based on merit), but those who appreciate the community spirit the scholarship embodies.

Keck Yew Jin, Marvin, Assistant Vice President, Product Management – Deposits at OCBC, is one such person. Attracted to the untapped possibilities in consumer banking, OCBC supported him with his unexpected interest and sponsored his Bachelor of Business Administration at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

He took a moment between the busy, dynamic work of managing deposits, executing product launches, liaising with stakeholders and ensuring compliance through procedure to tell us about his journey with OCBC.

Out of all the scholarships that you've applied for, why did you choose OCBC?

My connection with OCBC started with my mother, who joined OCBC as a teller in 2006 after taking a break from work for 12 years to take care of my brother and me. Her getting a job at OCBC made a strong impression on me, given that it is not easy for someone who was out of the workforce for so long to be hired again.

The scholarship was also bond-free, as the bank thinks of it as a way to give back to the community. That mindset resonates strongly with me even till today.

How did you get interested in consumer banking, of all the choices out there?

My interest in consumer banking grew during my internship with the OCBC Premier Banking team. I felt that consumer banking was fast-moving and dynamic and around the time I was graduating, it was starting to get disrupted as an industry which made it more interesting for me. While my friends and course mates were all aiming to get into investment banking or corporate banking, I set my heart to apply for consumer banking instead.

What was your biggest takeaway during your university days?

That one cannot succeed on your own. Of course, you have your projects, which do require you to work in a team and play to each other's strengths.

But outside of projects, my friends and I depended a lot on each other to share our resources and help one another out whenever we left certain things out or needed to bounce new ideas off one another. I honestly could not have done as well as I had if not for the help and support of my friends.

Keck Yew Jin, Marvin

How did you apply what you have learned in university to your current work at OCBC?

In banking, things do not happen in silos. Most of the time, everything you work on will involve different teams and people that you will need to work with. Many times, I would not have succeeded in getting past the finishing line if not for the help and support of my colleagues. Similarly, if someone comes to me for help or questions, I will always take time out to help them as well.

Tell us more about your role and responsibilities.

I am now working as a product manager for consumer deposit products. As a product manager, our aim is to grow deposit balances, be it through campaigns or launching new products to meet customers' needs.

As a deposit account is a core banking product that almost every customer has with the bank and interacts with, we also work with key stakeholders to optimise operational frameworks and internal processes to improve the customer experience.

What is your most significant career achievement to date?

Last year, my boss changed my portfolio to focus on cross-selling initiatives on wealth. My boss gave me a “blank slate”, so I set about deep diving into our extensive database. From there, after finding out some truly startling insights, worked extensively with our business support team, cluster and branch managers and implemented one initiative at a time across the network to build towards the framework that we have in place today.

What is the work culture at OCBC?

There is a strong inclusive culture in the bank, where if you need help or have questions, everyone is ready to lend a helping hand, especially if you are new.

There is also a lot of emphasis on learning and development – as the company actively encourages everyone to clock in at least five days of learning a year, and they can include courses and programmes conducted at our very own OCBC Campus or externally.

What career opportunities are there for people working at your organisation?

On a weekly basis, the bank sends on new open positions for staff who are looking for new career opportunities – something that I personally benefitted from!

Why should students consider an OCBC Scholarship?

Well, first, the scholarship is bond-free, so scholars are still able to pursue a career outside of banking should they want to do so.

And if they do want to pursue a banking career, OCBC's Graduate Talent Programme is a great place to start. The programme provides broad-based knowledge of banking, personalised rotations, and mentorships to prepare someone for a career in banking.

Lastly, can you give us some words of encouragement for your juniors who are graduating into an uncertain time?

Always keep an open mind – and never give up, especially in today's climate. A great opportunity may not often look like one until you have taken it.