As senior resourcing manager for Standard Chartered Bank, Belinda Chan knows a good recruitment opportunity when she sees it. Therefore, her team will be out in force at CPA Australia "Global Opportunities - Career Market Day" to explain what they have to offer in terms of graduate trainee schemes and options for professionals with a few years' experience.

"Basically, it is a very good chance to let people know more about the bank," she says. "For us, the event is mainly about networking and mingling, being able to share information about the opportunities of a banking career."

She emphasises that the sector offers diverse roles for anyone interested in finance. Some might entail having - or obtaining - an accountancy qualification, but the bank is also on the lookout for suitable candidates for its highly regarded International Graduate Programme.

One of the key criteria for people hoping to make an impression is to show they will be a good "cultural fit". In essence, this comes down to having five distinctive characteristics or values: being responsive, trustworthy, international, creative and courageous.

"In general, we will be looking for both technical and soft skills, depending on the needs of different streams," Chan says.

"We also like to hear from people why they would like a career in banking, what division they hope to work in, and to see what they already know about Standard Chartered's business."

She adds that, after the CPA Australia "Global Opportunities - Career Market Day", the usual next step for prospective candidates is to process an online application in the following month or so. In the case of experienced hires, considered for new openings, things can be accelerated as necessary.

"We are always interested in a wide spectrum of local and overseas graduates," Chan says. "In an international bank, it is important to get a good mix of people from different backgrounds."