Understand Different Banking Jobs
Banking is a broad and complex industry that offers jobs on all ranges of the income spectrum. Banking professionals may work directly with customers processing transactions, selling products or providing customer service. Some manage other employees. Others originate or process loans, trade stock, manage investment portfolios, analyze data or provide technical support. The best way to understand banking jobs is to get to know the people who work in the financial industry, and ask them to share their experiences, goals and frustrations.
Contents
Steps
- Strike up conversation with your own personal network of banking professionals.
- Get to know the tellers, customer service representatives, personal bankers and managers at your community bank or credit union. Ask them what their work duties are, if they enjoy their roles, and what experience or education they used to secure their jobs.
- Many banking professionals start out in service roles at retail branches prior to being promoted to managerial, corporate or high-volume sales positions. Discuss future goals with your personal contacts to help you gain an understanding of typical career paths within the banking industry.
- Ask other banking professionals who serve you how they prepared for and secured their positions, and inquire about their job duties.
- Banking professionals you may come in contact with include mortgage officers, investment bankers, financial advisers and insurance professionals.
- Enroll in college-level finance courses.
- Depending on your level of interest, you could take a few classes to expand your knowledge base. Or you could begin a degree program.
- Your coursework will provide detailed information about different banking jobs. Many of your instructors will likely be current or former banking professionals and will act as additional sources of information. Some courses may require on-the-job observation or internships, which will help you gain hands-on knowledge of banking jobs.
- Almost all 4-year colleges offer finance courses, as do many technical and community colleges.
- If you already hold a degree and are dedicated to understanding, and eventually applying for, high-level banking courses, you may decide to begin a master's of business administration (MBA) program. Focus your course of study on banking and finance.
- Maintain a strong network of contacts with whom you feel comfortable discussing job duties and career goals.
- Join civic organizations, networking clubs, sports leagues and community service groups. Banking professionals are often also looking for networking opportunities and are drawn to these groups. When you meet banking professionals in a social setting you can have conversations with them about what they do and how they got there.
- Keep in touch with banking professionals you meet as a customer, through organizations or through school. Touch base with them periodically, and listen to the details of their experiences as they go about their work days or apply for promotions.
Tips
- Tell the managers at your local banking branch or financial advising office that you are interested in banking jobs, and ask if they can help you understand some of the roles in their office. They may allow you to do some job shadowing, although your access will likely be strictly limited to maintain security. They also may have printouts of job descriptions, requirements, pay ranges and typical duties.
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References
- Marissa Selner, former personal banker, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
