Bank clerk (Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau)
You advise customers on their accounts, savings and loans: a 3-year training, paid from the first year, leading to an occupation at the heart of banking.
What a bank clerk does
They welcome and advise a bank's customers, manage accounts and payments, assess loan applications and offer savings, protection and financing solutions.
Advise
Support customers with their accounts, savings, investments and protection needs, depending on their situation.
Finance
Assess a consumer, mortgage or business loan application and check the customer's creditworthiness.
Manage
Open accounts, process transfers and payments, and follow legal rules and internal procedures.
This occupation is for you if…
- you like dealing with customers and can explain things simply
- you are comfortable with numbers and calculation
- you are careful with money and with rules to follow
- you enjoy learning about law, economics and financial products
Less suitable if…
- you do not like office work or customer-facing desk work
- you struggle with strict rules and written procedures
- you do not want to talk about money and contracts with customers
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Customer adviceAccounts and paymentsSavings and investmentsLoans and financingProtection and insuranceAccounting and controlPersonal qualities
People skillsAccuracyHead for numbersDiscretionService mindsetHow the Ausbildung works
In Germany you learn by working: this is the “dual system”. You are an employee of a company and a student at a vocational school (Berufsschule) at the same time.
The basics
- Opening and managing accounts
- Payments and customer service
- Financing a purchase
Advice
- Savings and investments
- Protection and insurance
- Final exam, part 1
Going deeper
- Mortgages and business loans
- Financial control and project
- Final exam, part 2
Exams and qualification
The final exam is in two parts (gestreckte Abschlussprüfung). Part 1, in the 4th half-year, covers accounts and financing purchases (90 minutes, 20% of the mark). Part 2, at the end of training, has three written papers and a simulated advisory meeting. You obtain the IHK final certificate (Abschlusszeugnis IHK) as a bank clerk, issued by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
You are paid during the training
Gross monthly pay during the training. These amounts are averages: they vary by region, sector and collective agreement.
What you need to apply
Education level
German level
Physical fitness
Documents to prepare
- CV and cover letter in German
- Translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts
- German B2 level certificate
Advantages and difficulties
Advantages
- High pay compared with the average
- Qualification recognised throughout Germany
- Customer contact and useful financial skills
- Many options for further training
Difficulties
- Sales targets and product selling
- Demanding legal rules and continuing training
- A lot of technical vocabulary in German
- Mostly sedentary work, repetitive tasks
Where it can lead
Customer adviser
Work in a branch on accounts, savings and loans, or in the bank's internal departments.
Bankfachwirt (IHK)
Further qualification at bachelor level, open after 2 years of practice, leading to more responsibility.
Bankbetriebswirt or studies
Continue with the Bankbetriebswirt or with business or economics studies, depending on your path.
Other trainings: Management, finance and administration
Not quite convinced by this occupation? Here are related trainings in the same field.
We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany
Four steps to move forward, all run by our own structures.
Take the test online or at the office
The eligibility test is done online on our website, or by visiting our Douala office directly.
Take the testTalk to our team
Germany: +49 (0) 7033 694 18 80
Cameroon: +237 622 20 81 64
DZK, our language centre
Deutschzentrum KAGEDEV (DZK) is our own language centre in Douala. Outside Douala: partner language centres, call us to find the nearest one.
AZUFA is always us
AZUFA is our platform: it connects you with German companies that recruit apprentices and follows your application through to the training contract.
Go to AZUFAFrom German A1 to the first day of training in Germany
Each step is run by one of our structures. You keep the same contact from start to finish.
- 1
Check my eligibility
The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.
Run by Campus Germany
- 2
Talk to an advisor
Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.
- 3
Learn German, from A1 to B2
Courses adapted to your starting level, up to the required B2 level. In Douala at our own language centre; elsewhere, with our partner centres.
Run by DZK
- 4
Prepare the application file
CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.
- 5
Find the company and sign the training contract
We connect you with German companies that recruit apprentices, and follow your application through to the contract.
Run by AZUFA
- 6
Prepare the visa and paperwork
Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.
- 7
Prepare your departure and settling in
Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.
Run by KAGEDEV e.V.
- 8
First day of training in Germany
You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.
Stay informed
Join our channels to receive new offers, session dates and advice. These are announcement channels: no private conversations.
Our structures for this occupation
Our platform for recruiting apprentices and skilled staff from Africa: matching with German companies through to the training contract.
Our own German language centre, in Douala. Outside Douala: partner centres.
Training offers for this occupation
No offer is open here at the moment. Browse apprenticeship offers on AZUFA, or receive an e-mail as soon as a partner company recruits.
See offers on AZUFA →Take this sheet with you
A 5-page document to read offline or show your family: the occupation, the training, the pay and the whole pathway, from German A1 to the first day of training.
Download the brochure (PDF)You may be wondering…
What German level is required?
How long does the training last?
Am I paid during the training?
Where can I take the eligibility test?
Where can I learn German?
How does the two-part final exam work?
Do you need a specific qualification to start?
Ready to find out whether this occupation is for you?
Take the test online or come and see us at the office. We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany.