Should I Become a Bank Teller?
Career News January 4, 2014The first person individuals interact with when entering a bank is the Teller of the Bank. The bank teller is usually the only person a regular customer will ever meet when using a bank. The teller of the bank has a few different jobs. One job they do is handling any and all of the money deposits that fall in the basic category.
Bank tellers also handle the check cashing and withdrawal transactions of the typical customer of a bank. Certain skills are needed for those wishing to become a bank teller, like excellent skills in customer service and being quick and efficient as well as friendly when dealing or interacting with customers. After you have been given the position of bank teller, you can then go on and become a certified bank teller. Being certified will lead to other employment opportunities within the banking area of employment.
The first step in becoming a bank teller is to graduate from high school, having taken many math courses – the more math courses, the better. Being able to count quickly and accurately is key to becoming a bank teller. A bank teller is the one person in this world the customer is depending on to keep his or her money straight. Even very small mistakes can become costly in the end.
The next step could be taking a few college courses in math or accounting. Education will never hurt your resume although it is not required to become a teller. Also, having a degree in something like economics or administration could help to climb the banks company ladder in the future.
The next step taken is writing those resumes and getting them out there, after researching what companies or banks you would like to be employed at. When filling out those resumes make sure to put an emphasis or highlight on any and all customer service skills you may have. A huge part of the bank tellers job is customer service; banks want their customers treated well and to have good experiences when dealing with the bank.
After becoming a teller, you will eventually be able to become certified but to do this, you must have no less than six months experience working as a bank teller. You can do things like classes taken through the American Institute of Certified Banking to receive the Bank Teller’s Certificate. Some employers provide the proper training needing to get certified. When getting your training, you will discuss topics such as business etiquette, state of the banks today, customer services, ethics, working with coworkers and banking relationships.
To become a certified bank teller, you will also need to obtain a letter from your employer stating why he thinks you deserve to be certified. The letter must be written from someone in a manager’s position from the bank you are employed through. It should contain their opinion of your customer services skills, ethics and abilities of being professional.
After you do all the training the last step before you are certified, you have to make a promise to uphold the ICB or Institute of Certified Banker’s ethics code. You will sign a statement stating this. Then you will take the final test which is 90 minutes long with 70 questions. Once you become certified you must keep up with your certification by taking classes to continue your education every 3 years.
