Recruitment process

Month	Graduate Programme	Summer Programme	Reserve Bank Scholarship	Maori & Pacific Islands Scholarship
Feb	Applications open 17 Feb 2020	Applications open 17 Feb 2020	Applications open	Applications open
Mar	RBNZ attend Career Expos and hold presentations on campus Applications close 27 March 2020	RBNZ attend Career Expos and hold presentations on campus Applications close 27 March 2020
Apr	Shortlisting begins: Application screening Online Assessments Video Interview Assessment Centre to be held late April in Wellington at RBNZ	Shortlisting begins: Application screening Online Assessments Video Interviews Assessment Centres to be held late April in Wellington at RBNZ
May	Reference and background checks Candidates advised of outcome and offers made to successful candidates	Reference and background checks Candidates advised of outcome and offers made to successful candidates
Nov		Successful candidates begin work at the Reserve Bank	Successful candidates invited to the Reserve Bank for the OCR media conference	Successful candidates invited to the Reserve Bank for the OCR media conference

The Selection Process

What is the process once I have applied?

After applications close on 27^th March, shortlisting for both the Graduate Programme and Summer Internship Programme will commence. Our shortlisting will be in four stages:

Application screening
Online Assessments
Video Interview (with questions based on your motivation and competencies)
Assessment Centre

What happens during the Assessment Centre?

If you’re a shortlisted candidate following the video interviews, you will be invited to the Reserve Bank in Wellington for a half day where you will be involved in an Assessment Centre with fellow candidates. During the Assessment Centre you will complete a written exercise, attend an individual interview with 2 panel members, participate in a group exercise and attend a presentation with other candidates, RBNZ Graduates, Scholars, past Interns and Hiring Managers.

The Reserve Bank pays for your flights, accommodation and taxi fares if these are necessary, so there is no hardship on your pocket to attend the Assessment Centre.

If you are an international candidate, we will discuss arrangements with you further.

We’ll send you an itinerary with further information for your half day before you arrive for your Assessment Centre, so you’ll know what to expect.

What happens at the interviews for the Reserve Bank and Women in Central Banking scholarships?

The scholarship interviews are the same as the Assessment Centre for graduate candidates (see above). The top performing candidates will receive a $10,000 scholarship and graduate position.

How many positions does the Reserve Bank offer?

The number of positions offered for the graduate and summer programmes differ each year, depending on a variety of factors. Usually the Reserve Bank offers between 4-8 graduate positions and 6-10 summer positions.

The number of positions offered for the Reserve Bank scholarship is usually 2-3 positions and 1-2 Maori & Pacific Islands scholarships.

What do I wear to an interview?

If you are coming to the Reserve Bank for an interview, then a good guide for men is dress pants, blazer and a tidy shirt. It is up to you whether you want to wear a tie. For women a smart dress, dress pants or skirt with a tidy top or shirt is appropriate.

I’ve been waiting to hear back about my interview... how long will it take?

We aim to get back to you as soon as possible, however, we want to make sure that we have made the right decisions and can provide you with useful feedback. After we interview all candidates, a group of us get together for an in-depth discussion about how it all went. The first campus interviews can take over a week to complete, and we can’t make any decisions until we have interviewed everyone.

If you are applying for a graduate position or a Reserve Bank scholarship, we look at each candidate’s performance in the general and technical interview, and in the written exercise. We also have to consider which area(s) of the Reserve Bank each candidate has the skills for and, of course, the area that candidates would enjoy working in. From here we complete reference checks. We will let you know the outcome, immediately after this is complete.

Interview tips

Make sure you feel comfortable in your interview outfit. It will make you feel more at ease, which the interviewers will notice.
Be prepared! Take a look at our About us section to find out more about our organisation. Jot down some notes on the subjects that you are taking, and on current economic issues the world is facing. For the general interview think about your strengths and weaknesses regarding behaviours like communication, teamwork and problem solving. Consider your studies, part time job(s) and leisure activities when answering general questions.
Think about some questions you’d like to ask the interviewers. You might want to know what a certain department is working on at the moment, what interviewers find interesting about working at the Reserve Bank, or what the culture of the Reserve Bank is like.
Try to stay relaxed. We know that this can be a daunting process, but we want you to succeed in your interview and ensure that we get the best out of you.