Credit Analyst
Career review from a person working in the job
How I Got The Job
My Education: BA in Computer Management
My Prior Experience: I worked as a restaurant manager in several fast food restaurants. My last position was as a Training General Manager, a job I held for 5 years.
My Job Profile
My Company: I work for a credit card company that gives both consumer and business credit cards and credit lines to individuals and companies.
Job/Career Overview: My job is to evaluate credit card applications that for some reason could not be automatically approved by a computer. The reasons that they are not automatically approved range from missing information, mistakes in the applications (such as misspellings or incorrect information), and when a person already has some type of relationship with the bank that will affect their credit line.
After evaluating the application I can either approve it because the mistaken information can be verified or corrected, deny the application because the information is not correctable, or send it back to the individual and ask for more information. I decide the amount of credit for an approved application based on company standards.
The other key part of my job is to talk to customers who call about the application that they submitted and to resolve any issues that I can. My job deals with both consumer and business accounts. The processes are similar, but the business cards require some additional paperwork and information to evaluate the financial situation of the business.
Love It? Hate It?
I rate this career 8 out of 10.
What I Love or Hate
The best part of the job is getting to help people get the credit that they need. Being able to resolve the problems that they face in the application process is a lot of fun and rewarding. It is fun to be able to figure out what the problem is and to be able to fix it.
The worst part of the job is dealing with the irate customers who are not happy with the decision that was made. Some people feel that the credit line is less then they deserve and do not understand that we are in a business that needs to limit its risks. Getting yelled out on the phone is never fun.
My Career Tips
This is a job that requires a person to make decisions, and you can not be afraid to make them. Not every choice will be perfect, but you have to be able to trust your instincts and training.
It is wise to try to learn as many different aspects of the job as possible. The work varies depending on the time of year, and people who are cross trained will always find work to do.
This job requires a tough skin. It is nothing personal and you need to realize that people on the phone are not always angry at you. Learning proper phone skills and being able to communicate effectively is very important.
