Bank Assistant - anyone ever worked as one?

The search facility doesn't appear to be working, so apologies if this has been asked before.

Has anyone ever worked as a bank assistant? Can you tell what you think of the job, or the career in general? I note a position being advertised which is at entry level. For one with plenty of relevant work experience and a broad 3rd level education, could one expect career progression to happen quite quickly? Understandably that is largely up to the individual too...

Trafford,

Having joined a large banking "institution" after leaving college I can honestly say the job really wouldnt tax your intelligence if it is just counter work i.e. next pelase, counting money, dealing with grumpy customer and dealing with nice customers etc. It really was vile somedays, e.g. people coughing all over you, can I borrow your pen and then its stuck in thier ears, or the best one ever (no joke) money coming out of someones knickers!!!! I often thought being a nurse would have been easier.

That said I will be forever grateful to the "institution" because when I started moving up the ranks (c. 1yr from starting) the training you receive in so many different areas is phenomenal. Banks are about customer service, get the customer and keep the customer, so they will do anything to mould you into that frame of mind. If you show initiative and ability they will help you. There are also many different departments that you can choose to work in, its just not one job. I ended up staying in banking for 10 yrs, the contacts, the experience, the learning curve, the good days/bad days, the good nights/bad nights all served to in my opinion make you a more of an all rounder and gives you a good grounding for future career prospects.

I say go for it if you want to move up the ranks and know for sure that you will not end up remaining on a counter for the rest of your life.

I agree with most of what Mers1 said having been through something similar myself - however, I would add that the realities of retail banking these days is that the branches are primarily seen as sales outlets and everyone will be under pressure to meet their sales or introduction targets.

It may sound easy but in practice it can be difficult to interest a customer in a new product when all they want to do is lodge a cheque etc. If you can sell, or think you'd like it, then you would probably do very well in a bank these days.

Banks are about customer service, get the customer and keep the customer

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It wasn't the AIB then, was it?

or the best one ever (no joke) money coming out of someones knickers!!!

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Sounds like a great perk! - where can we sign up

leghorn said:

Sounds like a great perk! - where can we sign up

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When I worked in a branch, twice a week the local chinese would lodge its cash - the place would stink to high heaven of prawn crackers and sweet and sour chicken - not what you want to be smelling at 10 o'clock on a Monday morning!

efm said:

I agree with most of what Mers1 said having been through something similar myself - however, I would add that the realities of retail banking these days is that the branches are primarily seen as sales outlets and everyone will be under pressure to meet their sales or introduction targets.

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thats is the way it was going 11 years ago when i suffered 9 months in a branch on a graduate recruitment programme. I changed career path as a result!

Stifster said:

thats is the way it was going 11 years ago when i suffered 9 months in a branch on a graduate recruitment programme. I changed career path as a result!

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Ouch! The would put me off I have to say.

Thanks for all the advice - keep it coming!

Haven't worked in a bank personally, but some of my close friends have, and all have switched to other career paths, as at entry level, the wages are quite low (little above minimum really) and oftentimes work does not finish at 5.30,if there's a mistake in any cashups all staff were required to stay until issue resolved, often til 8pm, no overtime pay, just regular salary. Often had to deal with very rude customers, but that comes with any customer-facing role.

Having said that, none of them lasted much longer than a year in the various banks, so I can't offer any advice as to how quickly you could progress if you put your mind to it, your experience may be very different if you have decided that banking is the way forward for your career, and are willing to stick it out in the longterm; all of my friends thought when going for the jobs they would progress quickly enough, but soon found that any branch managers etc. weren't going anywhere anytime soon, so no room for progression unless willing to move to other branches in other towns/cities, hence they all left and pursued other avenues.

I worked in two big banks here and didnt really like it. It was kinda everyone out for themselves kinda thing.

Bob the slob said:

I worked in two big banks here and didnt really like it. It was kinda everyone out for themselves kinda thing.

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I work in a bank currently and it is definitely like that. It's not a retail bank though.

Definetly most customer facing roles in banks these days are sales roles, you have to be willing to flog any product you can to each and every customer. It's all about sales, if you are good at that then well and good but if not, I would think twice.

Trafford said:

I work in a bank currently and it is definitely like that. It's not a retail bank though.

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In saying that there were some lovely people I worked with but I found it to be very cliquey, people not very welcoming, a lot of fakes etc. Couldnt work in a place like that, its not good for ya.

I work as a BA. There is scope for advancement but it means doing exams & the competition for promotion is quite fierce.
Depends on yourself & also on the branch - I work in retail. Some offices have really friendly workmates & others not. You can't judge one place by another.
Yes, pressure is on to make targets but a lot is down to the manager of the area you work in. There are also departments where the focus would be different. Some people love it, some hate it. Only way to find out is to try it.......nothing to lose....chalk it up to experience if it doesn't work out.

Pay isn't great but then it's comparable with a lot of other jobs. Graduate recruitment is the way to go if you qualify.

I'm at a different stage to you lot I guess. I was in the bank yrs ago, took a break to rear my kids & returned a few yrs back. It's a very different organisation now to the one I left......plus I'm back at entry level again & not where I left off.

Thanks for all your advice but I think you've confirmed what I already thought myself. I think I could be over qualified, and have so much experience of autonomy in work for the past 8 years since I graduated, that I don't think I could handle it.
I really only considered it because a position came up which was in close proximity to home, and I'm killed out currently commuting 4 to 5 hours a day to Dublin.