BNZ Internships in Accounting

About BNZ

For 150 years, BNZ has supported innovators, businesses, communities and families across New Zealand, enabling them to achieve success.  In the beginning, there were only a few of us, but now we number 4,800.

Over the next few years, we will invest heavily in growth – in a nationwide network and in products and services that will enable our clients to grow and build wealth for their families and for their communities. 

At BNZ, we have three obsessions; Leadership, Customers and Kaizen. These principles guide us and are central to everything we do.  As an intern at BNZ, you will be part of creating our future and ensuring we are the Bank for New Zealand.
  

 “BNZ is a good place to start your career and being accepted into the graduate programme provided a kickstart to this.  I had exposure to most of the Leadership Team, including our CEO Andrew Thorburn.  Graduates were often given the opportunity to work on extra projects to challenge us” – Maree,  Accounting & Finance Grad Programme
  

We believe in thinking differently

BNZ is a market leader.  That means doing things differently, doing them better and doing them first.  Over the last couple of years we’ve been quietly re-defining what banking means to New Zealanders.  

But it’s investing in our people that will truly set us apart and create the culture in which we can achieve.  Our people are committed to delivering our vision for New Zealand, working with our clients so that communities and families thrive.

Our culture can be summed up in three statements:  

• Own it, Do It 
• Listen, engage and deliver 
• Make it Easier
   

“What I like most is the people and culture of BNZ.  I work with amazing people who go out of their way to share their expertise and provide us with world class development opportunities”  - Andrew, Agri Grad Programme
  

We believe in doing the right thing

As a Principal Sponsor, BNZ is helping Plunket nurture the next generation and enable a high-achieving New Zealand.

BNZ Save the Kiwi trust in partnership with Department of Conservation and many others helped to bring 140 new BNZ Operation Nest Egg Kiwi into the world during 2010.

BNZ employees volunteered over 10,000 days in the last three years and the number of employees participating in community volunteer work has doubled every year. 

BNZ became the first New Zealand bank to become Carbon Neutral.

Where will your career take you?

One great thing that sets BNZ apart as an employer is the range of opportunities you get when you work here.  There isn’t just one career path; there’s one for every one of our 4,800 employees.

Where your career leads to will be based on your Individual Development Plan – a joint effort between you and your immediate manager, based on your own personal and professional goals.  

We believe the key to achieving your goals is developing a strong working relationship with your team members and managers. This creates an environment for success where your personal goals are met and we grow as a business together.
 

“There have been multiple opportunities as part of the Graduate Progamme to interact with members of the BNZ leadership team, ranging from group discussions to presentations on an array of topics.  Development opportunities are everywhere you look” – David, Accounting & Finance Grad Programme
 

Individual goals, team wins

Teamwork is a huge part of how we work at BNZ. So even though we place a big emphasis on individual development and career paths, working with others in teams is part of almost everyone's job here. The result is that workloads - and successes - are shared by everyone, not just one individual.

Change jobs without changing employers (in NZ and Internationally)

Talk to people here and it won't take long before you meet someone who started in one part of the bank and developed a career in another.

We encourage everyone who works here to look for opportunities within the bank. After all, we employ some of the best people in the business and we wouldn't want to see them go somewhere else! So a lot of the time when we have a vacancy, we fill it with someone who already works with us.

BNZ is part of the NAB Group, which means you can explore employment opportunities in Australia, USA and the UK.
 

“I spent a day with a Partner in Agribusiness.  That day sold me on applying and wanting to have a career at BNZ.  The possibility of working anywhere in NZ and having the chance to work with a great spread of clients and knowing that all graduates in Agri had gone on to have a career at BNZ were major positives” - Shay, Agri Graduate Programme.
 

Our Internship Programmes

• Will you be in your final year of study in 2013?
• Do you want to get a head-start for your future?
• Are you keen to develop your professional experience, build networks and get a great idea about which career might suit you?

Each year from December to February BNZ run a summer interns programme. This is a chance for you to discover more about yourself, about BNZ and about a career in banking and finance.

We look for well-rounded individuals with excellent academic records that demonstrate strong analytical and problem solving skills and a range of extra-curricular activities. We’re open to applicants from a range of disciplines including Commerce, Banking and Finance, Economics, Accounting, Arts or Engineering.

At BNZ we're passionate about our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate. As an intern you’re vital to our culture and from day one, your ideas and contributions are valued.

Your imagination, dedication, focus and diversity will enable us to create and maintain strong relationships with our customers and communities drive our business forward and face challenges with confidence. Whatever your career ambitions, you may choose from a variety of internship programs in specialist areas of the business such as banking in agribusiness, institutional and wholesale.

What’s more, we're part of the National Australia Bank (NAB) group - one of Australia's largest publicly-listed companies operating internationally - so a career with us could take you places you’ve never been.

Agribusiness 

Agribusiness is a specialist area of our BNZ Partners division. We've been working alongside New Zealand farmers and agricultural businesses for close to 150 years helping build one of the nation's strongest industries. Such depth and scale offers you exposure to a variety of industries, both large and niche, making your time as an intern with us both exciting and rewarding.

Our network is spread across New Zealand to support Beef, Sheep and Dairy Farmers, Horticulturalists and Viticulturalists in all regional and rural areas. So you could find yourself in any one of our locations across the country - with a friendly team who'll help you settle in wherever you go.

To support your experience as a hands-on Agribusiness banker, you'll join the credit team in our Agribusiness Credit Centre (located in Hamilton) for a couple of months at the beginning of the programme. Your time there will equip you with the Agribusiness Finance knowledge you'll need in the field.

Our internship programme includes:

• A one-on-one mentoring programme with a senior member of our team
• Exposure to our Credit Centre
• Opportunities to network with other Agribusiness specialists across the BNZ

We're looking for people with a passion for agriculture and who possess an understanding of the unique challenges and conditions facing our primary producers. You need to be excited about using your time as an Agribusiness intern to explore different industries.

"You get to be involved with both sides of the fence. You can help farmers benefit while also helping yourself and the Bank benefit. You are able to network with many professionals and continually learn and grow within the Agribusiness industry." - Alistair (Bachelor of Commerce Agriculture, Majoring in Rural Valuation and Agricultural Management, Lincoln University)
 

Institutional Banking

Join our Institutional Banking Programme and we'll provide the starting point for your career to go in any direction you want it to. The global opportunities we have to offer mean you can make a real mark on the industry, so now's your chance to wow us with your personality as much as your grades. Create your own success story and take your finance career anywhere you want it to go.

This programme will offer you the opportunity to learn everything you need to know about Institutional Banking, from capital structure to debt funding options. You'll come out the other end ready to help ensure the success of some of New zealand's largest and best known organisations. The variety and flexibility this programme offers means you'll have plenty of opportunities coming your way.

The positions will most likely suit individuals with a strong Finance or Economics degree, however candidates with excellent numerical and communication skills gained in another discipline should not be discouraged from applying. What we're really interested in is leadership potential and the ability to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Plus, you'll be confident networking across the business and raising your profile in the industry, so you'll show great relationship building skills and the ability to get on with all sorts.

Join us, and create your own career path to success. With our global marketplace presence and competitive remuneration package you can be sure you're getting sll the opportunities possible to further your career in Institutional Banking. 

"It has been great to work in a collaborative high-achieving environment with like-minded people. The collaborative nature seems to be a strength of BNZ in particular. I enjoy working with well known and respected NZ companies. I really enjoyed the summer internship and then the Grad position that I was employed in. It is obviously a considerable change to being at Uni and it has been great to apply the knowledge that I learnt to real life situations." - Tennessee (Commerce Degree major in Finance, University of Canterbury)
 

Wholesale

Wholesale Banking is all about movement: movement in exchange rates, interest rates and prices. Made up of Markets (sales and trading in interest rates, derivatives, commodities and foreign exchange, capital markets origination and sales, wholesale funding securitisation and research) and the support units of operations, finance, technology and risk, we provide funding, risk management and investment solutions to our clients.

Our internship programme provides the opportunity to learn about a broad range of Markets products and services. We offer a stimulating career which brings you head-to-head with macro-environmental forces such as interest rate, currency and commodity price movements together with the challenge of providing leading-edge solutions for our customers.

From day one you'll get involved in 'real work', allowing you to explore which part of the business is best suited to your career goals. We'll expose you to the widest range of Markets disciplines to develop your skills, experience and knowledge, from money markets and foreign exchange trading, to client relationship management. Whatever your background there are opportunities for you to learn and grow. And as we are part of the wider National Australia Bank (NAB) Group you'll also get exposure to Wholesale Banking on a global basis.
 

"Highlights include; 1) A one week dealers training course in Sydney. I got to meet pretty much all the Markets grads from Australia, making great connections, learning a lot, and having a whole lot of fun. A highlight on the desk is being involved in the daily BKBM rate-set - a two minute trading window in which hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bank bills are traded between nine participating banks. 2) The people I work with, it's been said before, but it's actually true. It's a very cool culture and group of people in the Wellington markets. 3) Lots of potential opportunity/career growth, not just domestically either. I'm based on the Cash Desk, as part of a five person Funding team based in the Wellington dealing room managing BNZ's cash account at the RBNZ. The desk gives you exposure to a large range of Money Market physicals and derivatives and this is the ideal position within the bank to train as a junior trader." - John (Conjoint degree Mathematics & Science, Post Grad MCom Finance)
 

Application Information

To apply for a BNZ Internship Programme you'll need to: 

• Complete an online application - this is your chance to sell yourself, tell us your story and why you're right for BNZ. You will be asked to include your CV, Cover Letter, Academic Transcripts and details of your community, leadership & sporting achievements and work experience.
• You’ll be required to complete an online assessment to support your application.

Subject to meeting the required criteria and being successful through each stage, you can expect the following steps:

• Participate in a telephone interview – a member of the Talent Acquisition team will call you to find out more about your career ambitions, studies, and achievements.
• You may then be required to complete an additional online assessment.
• Attend a formal interview or assessment centre - you will meet some BNZ people leaders, have an opportunity to see our environment and be assessed across a number of different competencies.
• Reference checks and probity completed by Talent Acquisition Consultant.
• Formal offer of employment made.

Your Talent Acquisition Consultant will stay in touch and keep you updated at each step in the application journey.

So, what's it like to join us on the Graduate Program?  What can you expect and how can you make the most of your time with us?

We know that learning and development are essential to giving you the right skills and confidence to help you build a strong and fulfilling career. So, no matter which BNZ Graduate Program you choose, you'll receive:

• Structured and on-the-job learning and development
• Education about the wider business and exposure to senior leaders
• Support as part of the graduate community

Meet our Grads:

Maree:  ...I love the dynamic nature of my current job.  Working in Wholesale Banking means our work is affected by what is happening not only in the New Zealand market

Andrew: I completed a Bachelor of Business Studies at Massey, majoring in Agribusiness.  What appealed to me most about the Graduate Programme was the opportunity to work with a mentor throughout the programme who was always there to answer any questions...

Pratheek: What I like most about my role is the opportunities to learn and develop different skills.  No two days are the same; you are constantly dealing with new people, new departments and new challenges.

Tamsin: It is tailored to your individual requirements, and is also very self-driven and open to your input and ideas; you can really drive your own progress.

Tennessee: My role within the team is to complete analysis (financial, industry, business etc) of the companies that we bank. I also complete a number of tasks to help with the day-to-day running of the portfolio.

Kael: I really like the nature of the programme – being able to rotate around four different areas within finance keeps you on your feet and constantly learning.

Cathy:Check that Intranet Article I wrote is up on the Home page. Check. No major spelling mistakes - Success!

To hear more from our graduates click here.