Articles in Career DevelopmentArticles in EntrepreneurshipArticles in Health & SafetyArticles in Job SearchArticles in Salary / BenefitsArticles in WorkplaceBank OfficerA Day in the life of a Bank Officer Bank trust officers act as trust and estate managers; loan officers manage, evaluate, and distribute loans; operations officers handle the interface between banking institutions and technology, such as computer systems; and marketing officers identify customer needs and evaluate service. They all work together to ensure the proper functioning of the bank on a day-to-day basis. The intricate networks of responsibility are internally reviewed and subject to the supervision of the U.S. government. Interaction is marked by a sense of professionalism; while few bank officers cited “closeness” as a way of describing their relationships with their coworkers, many said that they could and did rely on them every day. Each type of officership requires a different set of strengths. For example, those who become trust and estate managers must have a strong understanding of tax implications, an ability to anticipate future problems, and excellent communication skills as they will work closely with clients. Loan officers, on the other hand, must have an understanding of statistics and strong judgment skills, anticipating a potential borrower’s future ability to repay a loan. Our respondents emphasized the enormous responsibility most banking officers face. “You have to make real decisions that have real responsibilities attached, and you’ve got to be smart [about them]” mentioned one. Beginning employees aren’t thrown into the industry without training or supervision, but they are given a surprising amount of power for people with little work experience. Banking requires an agility with numbers, good organizational skills, sound interpersonal skills, and a strong fundamental work ethic. Those in the banking industry ranked the intensity of their day-to-day jobs in the top 10 percent of all professions; this career isn’t for someone who pines for long vacations and sinecures. Paying Your Dues Associated Careers |