Freelance Operations Managers in PunjabFreelance Operations Managers in Punjab
Web Developer-Shopify, Webflow & Custom Builds That Converts
$100k+
Earned
23x
Hired
5.0
Rating
117
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Web Developer-Shopify, Webflow & Custom Builds That Converts
Agency Operations Manager & ClickUp Consultant
1x
Hired
5.0
Rating
6
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Agency Operations Manager & ClickUp Consultant
Business Systems Architect — Operations, Automation & AI
New to Contra
Business Systems Architect — Operations, Automation & AI
Finance & HR writer simplifying ideas into engaging blogs.
New to Contra
Finance & HR writer simplifying ideas into engaging blogs.
Cover image for BANKING CAREER IN PAKISTAN. THE
BANKING CAREER IN PAKISTAN. THE REALITY NOBODY TELLS YOU BEFORE YOU JOIN. You see the suit. You see the title. Office looks air conditioned. You do not see what happens inside. I have been in the banking industry for 25 years in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I have worked in the operations, compliance and in rooms where careers were won and lost. So here is the reality check, which most senior bankers won't share with you. THE SALARY IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING Average entry-level salaries for the commercial banks in Pakistan range from PKR 50,000 to PKR 80,000 monthly. Once you pay your rent, your mortgage, your bills and your transportation, there's barely anything left. The pay scale of the banking sector in Pakistan has not matched up with the rate of inflation. The State Bank of Pakistan's own figures show that growth of real wages in the financial sector is under strain for years. Do not join banking for the money at the start. You will be disappointed. THE HOURS ARE BRUTAL AND MOSTLY UNPAID Branch banking in Pakistan is not a 9-to-5 job. End-of-day reconciliation, audit preparation, regulatory reporting deadlines, and customer pressure mean that 10-to-12-hour days are standard, not exceptional. Saturday working is common. Time off-in-lieu is rare. Overtime pay for officers is almost non-existent. TARGETS WILL DEFINE YOUR EXISTENCE Deposits. Cross-selling. Account opening numbers. Insurance products. Loan disbursement. Numbers will be assessed on a monthly basis. In the event that you don't reach the goals, your increment is in danger. When you're not hitting goals, your career gets stuck. This is not motivation! This is continuous pressure. Banking is a depressing process for those who aren't equipped for target-oriented performance. 4. THE COMPLIANCE BURDEN IS GROWING AND THE PENALTIES ARE PERSONAL This is something that no one tells the new graduates. Banking employees can be held personally responsible under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010 and the regulations of the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) of Pakistan for failure of compliance. Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) are a series of regulations aimed at stopping illegal money laundering or counter-terrorism financing through the financial system. The failure to properly complete a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR), the lack of Know Your Customer (KYC) documentation, or a transaction that is not adequately reviewed falls on the individual officer, and not solely on the institution. Young bankers don't really know this until it is too late. 5. PROMOTION IS SLOW AND POLITICAL In most Pakistani banks, relationships are more important than merit. Even if you're doing a great job for years, you can watch others around you rise to greater heights, when you do not have a sponsor or mentor from senior management. The culture of institutional favoritism is a reality in local context, and is well documented and has a negative impact on young talent who only rely on performance. 6. DIGITIZATION IS ELIMINATING ENTRY-LEVEL ROLES The fintech industry in Pakistan is growing. New technologies such as branchless banking, mobile wallets and digital account opening are replacing the need for traditional front-desk and teller jobs. According to the Pakistan Banks Association and several other reports, the footprints on branches are shrinking. The entry level jobs, which were jobs for training, are being phased out. If you're entering the banking world now as a transactional player, you are expected to get into compliance, risk, credit analysis or technology in three to five years. 7. THE MENTAL HEALTH COST IS REAL Customer abuse, regulatory pressure, target anxiety, and long hours create a toxic combination. Banking professionals in Pakistan rarely discuss this openly because the culture rewards stoicism. But the exhaustion rate is high. If you do not build your own boundaries early, the institution will not build them for you. SO WHY DO PEOPLE STILL JOIN? Despite all the obvious disadvantages of banking, it remains one of the most transferable skill sets in the Pakistani job market when done properly. The skills in credit analysis, AML/CFT compliance, risk management and operations leadership are truly worthwhile in financial institutions in the GCC, UK and around the world. There is a career path. The prizes are tangible. But they go to those who have come in with clear eyes, not with illusions. Enter banking knowing what it actually costs. Then decide if you want to pay that price.
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Cover image for WHY HUMILITY IS YOUR GREATEST
WHY HUMILITY IS YOUR GREATEST GROWTH ACCELERATOR In the early days of my career, I felt confident thinking that I knew all the answers related to my work. I was wrong. Afterwards, I realized that that the magic words really were ‘I don't know', which I started to use more frequently. Humility is not thinking less of oneself. It is a matter of thinking less about yourself and you will see that everything changes. So, this is what I have learned how humility supports and lead you to sustainable growth: Humility opens doors that ego keeps locked. When you admit what you do not know, you become teachable. Feedback really becomes a fuel for you as compared to criticism. You always see lessons in all your failures, and in all your talks. Humility will help you keep moving forward when perfectionism will cause paralysis. It allows you to be in a state of becoming teachable. You send in a flawed project, you do the hard talk, and you do the job that you're not ready for, because you're safe enough to learn in public. For compounding the effects of the relationships, we find that humility is the key. Those that listen more than they talk, cheer on others' successes, and fill the room rather than sucking up all the air, attract more people to them. These are the folks others want to champion, mentor and work with. The best people I know have this trait: They are curious and they're very open about the things they don't know. They have come to understand that admitting that you are still learning is not a weakness signal, it is a strength multiplier. Growth doesn't stop at a specific point and you don't "arrive" at growth. It's an ongoing course of action and humility is the guiding force that pushes you in the right direction!
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Senior UI/UX Designer | Product & UX Strategist
8
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Senior UI/UX Designer | Product & UX Strategist
UX, Optimizing Operations & Virtual Assistance
UX, Optimizing Operations & Virtual Assistance