Banking

Commercial banks are in the business of providing banking services to individuals, small businesses and large organizations. While the banking sector has been consolidating, it is worth noting that far more people have jobs in the commercial banking sector than any other part of the financial services industry.

Jobs in banking can be exciting and offer excellent opportunities to learn about business, interact with people and build up a clientele. Today's commercial banks are more diverse than ever. You'll find a tremendous range of opportunities in commercial banking, starting at the branch level where you might start out as a teller to a wide variety of other services such as leasing, credit card banking, international finance and trade credit.

Hickory Point Bank

Articles on this page were submitted by an employee at Hickory Point Bank.

February 2010 Issue

I hope you enjoyed the information about the Personal Banker position that was shared last month.  This month, let's take a look at the work of a Bank Teller, Bookkeeper, and Compliance Officer.

If you have paid any attention at all to the news recently, you will know that the banking industry is a constantly changing, ever evolving environment. My career started 30 years ago when I became a teller at a small, intimate bank. Going into a job like that with no prior experience was somewhat intimidating and scary, but it didn’t take long for me to realize how much I liked it. Teller work can be very fast paced, demanding and challenging and as the teller is often the first person a customer sees, the need to always present a positive experience is a must. Additionally, the teller line is also a place one can learn about a lot of different aspects of banking.

After working as a teller for about three years, I was presented with the opportunity to train in the bookkeeping area. Originally, I was only going to be filling in for the Head Bookkeeper when she went on vacation. That turned into a full time position when she returned to work and gave her two week notice, and I was forced to learn everything I could in as little time as possible. It was then that bookkeeping became my life, and I loved it. There is something very rewarding about being able to balance many accounts, first individually and then all of those accounts as a whole, making sure the entire bank is in balance before going home every evening. The bank bookkeeping department does a lot of other things as well. They answer customer calls and deal with any problems the customer may have concerning their account, decide to pay or return checks for non-sufficient funds, mail out several types of notices and balance the ATM machines, just to name a few. Bookkeepers must be multi-task oriented, very detailed in their work and must possess good problem solving abilities.
 
A little over two years ago, I was given the chance to work in the bank's compliance department.  Banks are regulated by federal and state regulatory agencies, and there are specific rules and regulations that need to be followed.  Banks are subject to audits and exams, and the role of the compliance department is to make sure that the necessary bank policies are written in conjunction with the regulations.  In addition, it is necessary to ensure that everyone is adhering to the rules that have been set by those policies.
 
Next month, we will look at other aspects of the banking industry.
 

January 2010 Issue

Welcome to the field of Banking.  This month, I will begin with an overview of the Personal Banker position.  In my search for finding a career that would best suit my personality and interest in assisting others with their finances, I found a position as a Personal Banker that I love!  I truly look forward to going to work every day.  My job not only provides me with personal satisfaction, but the ability to assist my customers with everything from opening a checking account to long term financial goal planning.

As a Personal Banker, my primary responsibilities are to provide every customer with exceptional service, while working with them to determine the products and services that best fit their individual needs.  Every customer is greeted with a smile and a knowledge of everything the bank has to offer.  A Personal Banker not only needs to be well informed of the bank's products and services offered in the Retail Department, but also some knowledge of Consumer Lending, Mortgage Lending, Trust, Commercial and Agricultural Services.

Many times a Personal Banker is the first contact a new customer makes with the bank, so presenting a professional image in both appearance and the work area is very important.  Quite often the initial contact is due to a marriage, family addition or possibly even the loss of a family member.  Whatever the reason, it's important to always keep the best interest of both the customer and the bank in mind.

A Personal Banker's job does not end when the customer walks out the door.  All employees must learn and adhere to all banking regulations, policies and procedures.  In addition, there are numerous tasks to persorm to make sure that all customer information is kept confidential and accurate, so being organized and detail oriented is a must.  Being proficient on Microsoft Office is also required in this position.

In addition to the personal satisfaction that my job gives me, my employer has encouraged me to get involved in the community.  This has allowed me to become much more aware of the services provided to many and I take pride in representing my employer.  I am very pleased that I have found a career as a Personal Banker.