Should you stay or should you go?

There is no hard and fast rule as to whether graduates should stay at the same bank or move once their traineeship is over. Decisions must be based on individual circumstances.

"If there is a defined career path with skills development on offer in the right areas then there is a strong argument to stay. After investing in the graduate's training, the bank will have a vested interest in retention, and this can work to the graduate's advantage with respect to career progression," says Jason Hemens, a manager at Micheal Page International.

James Carss, general manager Hudson Hong Kong, says in balance it depends how satisfied graduate trainees feel after their training end. If the employee has gained valuable experience and found a suitable role and department, there is usually no need to move, he adds.

According to Carss, the pros of staying on at the same bank are that trainees "have already proved themselves to important decision makers internally, have gained valuable knowledge of that bank; how it operates, its systems and its people. They may have a career path marked out for them now."

The cons of remaining include feeling underpaid and undervalued and in need of a change of environment. Those who leave often "upgrade" to a higher status bank and/or take a role that is unobtainable at their current firm. Recruiters agree that many graduates are of course also motivated by the salary increments used to attract them over.

But be warned

The main disadvantage of jumping ship is losing the valuable relationships you have gained in your previous workplace. Graduates should therefore only consider leaving if their required career development opportunities are not on offer.

Moving for a pay rise may be appealing in the short term, but this should be balanced against skills development and long-term career progression, adds Hemens.

Carss offers a valuable piece of advice for young bankers: "The first few years of a banker's career can be tiring and exhausting, but this is the critical time in their career when they are benchmarked against many similar candidates. Attitude, work ethic and willingness to volunteer for less glamorous roles can make all the difference in standing out from the crowd."