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I graduated with a bachelors in psychology over 2 years ago and have been having a hard time finding work. In the past, I tried applying to several banks for entry level teller positions, but I got rejected by all of them. People on this forum said I should work as a cashier to get some money handling experience and hopefully pave the way for a bank teller job. Recently, I took up a part time job working as a cashier at a large retailer. I am not going to work at this retailer long-term. How long I should work as a cashier before I simply give up entirely and go back to school for a different field? If I have a few months of money handling experience, will I have a good chance of getting hired as a teller? Or is the competition for those positions so steep that I will most likely be rejected regardless?
The American Bankers Association (www.aba.com) has a course for bank tellers. You can get a certificate at the end of the course. It's not exactly inexpensive ($795 for non-members) but it just might show a prospective employer that you're serious about the field. It would certainly be less expensive than getting a degree in finance.
OP, it depends on what's going on in the job market in your area. As I posted on your other thread, a local bank where I live hired several grocery cashiers at once, when their store changed management, and they needed to look elsewhere for work. And not all of them were long-term employees at the store. Someone on the other thread said that it's mostly retirees needing employment who get the bank teller jobs, but I don't see that where I live, at all. All the bank teller jobs are held by young people, along with a couple of mid-career types who also handle other bureaucratic functions at the banks. So I wouldn't be discouraged on that score. And yes, I think a few months of cashier experience + a good recommendation from your employer should be enough to get your foot in the door at a bank.
That bank course sounds like a great idea, too, if you can afford it. And if you get a teller job, be sure to "dress for success". Don't wear more casual clothes, like a lot of women tellers do, these days. Wear a suit, to signal that you're interested in moving up in the bank hierarchy.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I suspect that there is just the same demand for tellers as there used to be back when they would hire people right out of high school, due to the number of people doing all of there banking online or at the ATM. Most used to have 6-8 tellers at any time, last time I was in a bank there was one, plus 2 "personal bankers".
The American Bankers Association (www.aba.com) has a course for bank tellers. You can get a certificate at the end of the course. It's not exactly inexpensive ($795 for non-members) but it just might show a prospective employer that you're serious about the field. It would certainly be less expensive than getting a degree in finance.
No way in hell am I spending close to a grand for a field that I'm not even committed to. I make slightly more than min wage, so I'm not going to blow that much money for a course in a field that I might not even like. A bank teller job is very entry level and I refuse to spend money on such a low level job.
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Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
OP, it depends on what's going on in the job market in your area. As I posted on your other thread, a local bank where I live hired several grocery cashiers at once, when their store changed management, and they needed to look elsewhere for work. And not all of them were long-term employees at the store. Someone on the other thread said that it's mostly retirees needing employment who get the bank teller jobs, but I don't see that where I live, at all. All the bank teller jobs are held by young people, along with a couple of mid-career types who also handle other bureaucratic functions at the banks. So I wouldn't be discouraged on that score. And yes, I think a few months of cashier experience + a good recommendation from your employer should be enough to get your foot in the door at a bank.
That bank course sounds like a great idea, too, if you can afford it. And if you get a teller job, be sure to "dress for success". Don't wear more casual clothes, like a lot of women tellers do, these days. Wear a suit, to signal that you're interested in moving up in the bank hierarchy.
As I wrote earlier, the bank course is out of the question. A bank teller job is low level and I refuse to spend money for such a menial job. If what my friend told me is worth anything, then it sounds like getting a bank teller job won't be easy. My friend managed to go to a group interview for a bank teller job. He said that there were a decent number of displaced professionals who were middle aged and had a decent amount of experience. During the times I did apply, I got emails saying that my application was not selected and that they had a buttload of applicants.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140
I suspect that there is just the same demand for tellers as there used to be back when they would hire people right out of high school, due to the number of people doing all of there banking online or at the ATM. Most used to have 6-8 tellers at any time, last time I was in a bank there was one, plus 2 "personal bankers".
I agree that the demand may be the same, but the pool of applicants is probably enormous.
An ex of mine worked as a bank teller, then manager of same bank. I can say that the cert is not necessary. It is not so much about money handling skills as you would be trained in that, anyways, and not only will there be many cameras on you and your draw the money is counted, recounted, and recounted again. It is more about how you can handle customers than anything, in particular if they are irate (which tends to happen when their money is involved) or robbing you. Or passing a scam through your window. Will you follow protocol or not is the main question they want to know before they will hire you.
First, I encourage you to not give up on using your Bachelor's degree to find work in your field of expertise. For reasons it's not necessary for me to go into I was never able to go to college after I got out of the Navy in 1990. I really wanted to but couldn't, so I'm envious (in a good way) of your degree. The job market is so bad it's tough finding work for many people, including those with college degrees, although a couple years ago it was reported those with college educations had about half the unemployment rate as those who just have a high school education level.
It's good that you are willing to work entry level jobs to pay the bills, but I suspect your degree will help land you a job eventually. However, the longer you are out of college without working in that field I imagine it will be tougher and tougher to find a job using your degree.
As far as the teller position goes I kind of wonder why you'd want it. At least in my area tellers don't earn much, banks have cut back on staffing teller windows, and they've forced many tellers to work part time so they don't have to pay them benefits. I used to work in one of the supporting departments for a bank in their credit card department. Some of the women I worked with had been tellers. I heard enough stories to know they hadn't been treated very well and earned even lower pay than I did working in my position.
And quite frankly, I don't believe they train their staff nearly as well as they used to, although that's probably true for most entry level white collar type jobs in many industries these days. I've worked at several large national companies and training is not good at all in my experience.
Have you given thought to becoming a teacher or instructor? For a couple of years I worked with a guy who had a Masters degree in either Liberal Arts or the Performing Arts. He was sitting next to me making about $8/hour. He said his passion was teaching and he kept looking for a teaching position until he found one at a small college. Prior to that he had used his Spanish language skills to teach Mexican immigrants down in I believe Arizona to learn English.
Some people aren't interested in teaching but if you are, maybe you could find a teaching job. My step-sister is a teacher in the public school system here, and her husband is a firefighter. Between the two of them they built a mansion in one of the nicer, more expensive parts of the area. She does quite nicely even without his salary and benefits.
Good luck, and don't give up on using your degree.
First, I encourage you to not give up on using your Bachelor's degree to find work in your field of expertise. For reasons it's not necessary for me to go into I was never able to go to college after I got out of the Navy in 1990. I really wanted to but couldn't, so I'm envious (in a good way) of your degree. The job market is so bad it's tough finding work for many people, including those with college degrees, although a couple years ago it was reported those with college educations had about half the unemployment rate as those who just have a high school education level.
It's good that you are willing to work entry level jobs to pay the bills, but I suspect your degree will help land you a job eventually. However, the longer you are out of college without working in that field I imagine it will be tougher and tougher to find a job using your degree.
As far as the teller position goes I kind of wonder why you'd want it. At least in my area tellers don't earn much, banks have cut back on staffing teller windows, and they've forced many tellers to work part time so they don't have to pay them benefits. I used to work in one of the supporting departments for a bank in their credit card department. Some of the women I worked with had been tellers. I heard enough stories to know they hadn't been treated very well and earned even lower pay than I did working in my position.
And quite frankly, I don't believe they train their staff nearly as well as they used to, although that's probably true for most entry level white collar type jobs in many industries these days. I've worked at several large national companies and training is not good at all in my experience.
Have you given thought to becoming a teacher or instructor? For a couple of years I worked with a guy who had a Masters degree in either Liberal Arts or the Performing Arts. He was sitting next to me making about $8/hour. He said his passion was teaching and he kept looking for a teaching position until he found one at a small college. Prior to that he had used his Spanish language skills to teach Mexican immigrants down in I believe Arizona to learn English.
Some people aren't interested in teaching but if you are, maybe you could find a teaching job. My step-sister is a teacher in the public school system here, and her husband is a firefighter. Between the two of them they built a mansion in one of the nicer, more expensive parts of the area. She does quite nicely even without his salary and benefits.
Good luck, and don't give up on using your degree.
There's upward mobility potential in a teller job. The OP could work up into a loan officer position, and above.
OP, it doesn't matter what we think the potential is. What matters is what the potential in your location is. You say that in your area, older displaced workers and retirees get the teller positions. That's unusual, but if true, then that's all you need to know, I would think. OTOH, those people are not looking to move up in the bank. If you could get your foot in the door, you'd have no competition in your bid for promotions.
You mentioned something about going back to school eventually, for more education. Is that a real possibility? If so, have you thought about what field you might try for? Economics would help you leapfrog over the teller job, and get a mid-level bank job.
No way in hell am I spending close to a grand for a field that I'm not even committed to. I make slightly more than min wage, so I'm not going to blow that much money for a course in a field that I might not even like. A bank teller job is very entry level and I refuse to spend money on such a low level job.
Whoa. Now hold on a minute. You asked for suggestions and you got one. If you don't like it then forget about it and move on. But you'd better work on your diplomacy skills, regardless of what career track you take, because they are sorely lacking.
Being a teller is very similar to being a cashier. No, thanks! Been there, done that.
You should continue your education and get a degree in something that's in demand. Accounting, etc. and get a stable job. ATM's and more advanced technology are replacing tellers by the day.
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