Bank Customer Service Representative
Career review from a person working in the job
How I Got The Job
My Education: BA University of Dayton
My Prior Experience: I have worked as a head chef for Mobil 4 star inns and had my own catering company for 12 years
My Job Profile
My Company: My company is a financial institution with wealth management and insurance subsidiaries.
Job/Career Overview: I am responsible for the creation of new accounts. I underwrite both personal and business loans. I originate mortgages. I also fill in on the teller line when needed.
Creating new accounts requires active solicitation of all customers. I help my customers by recommending appropriate products that will aid their financial well being.
Originating loans and underwriting mortgages for customers requires my research and approval. I must ensure that my financial institution is not loaning money ill advisedly.
Working on the teller line requires speed, efficiency and the ability to count large amounts of money.
More Insights: The most surprising thing that I have learned in my job is how many people are unable to balance their check book and how many people live beyond their means. They think having a debit card means they don't have to pay for anything. They end up declaring bankruptcy often because they never learned how to handle their money. Learn to do a monthly budget and stick to it.
Love It? Hate It?
I rate this career 3 out of 10.
What I Love or Hate
The best part of the job is meeting people and business owners on a daily basis. I am the person with the answers to their financial questions. People think bankers know everything. We don't but we will certainly try our best to get you the right answer to whatever you ask us.
The worst part of the job is the pressure to outperform and outsell every other branch in our state. We have quarterly sales goals, mystery shoppers that rate our performance and required quotas we must meet. The other terrible part of the job is being subjected to a hold up or bank robbery. It is a terrifying experience and you don't recover from it easily. And last but not least, there are those awful customers that overdraw their account repeatedly, lie and try to "float" their money which is actually stealing. They will come in and verbally abuse us when they get hit with fees for their stupidity.
My Career Tips
Train yourself to count change without using a computer or calculator. Learn to recognize all different denominations of money.
Understand percentages and ratios so that you are informed when you quote an annual percentage yield for a customer.
Take jobs that require you to service customers all day so that you develop the ability to meet and greet new people. Don't be shy.
