Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.
What different banking jobs involve day to day
Banking covers very different working days: a teller balancing cash at four o'clock, a loan officer chasing a missing payslip, an operations clerk clearing cheques and wires, a compliance analyst reviewing a flagged account. Speaking to people in three of these seats before you apply tells you which door to knock on first and whether the work suits you at all.
First tasks
- List three people you know who work in a bank or credit union
- Ask each one for a twenty minute call about a normal working week
- Write down what each role involves, including the parts they dislike
- Pick the two entry roles you will apply for first
School subjects and entry qualifications for banking
Students choosing CSEC and CAPE subjects, GCSEs and A levels, or a US or Canadian high school course load can line up for banking without narrowing their options. Banks hiring school leavers usually want passes in Mathematics and English, and Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Economics or CAPE Management of Business add weight.
First tasks
- Collect the entry requirements from three banks' careers pages
- Check the entry requirements of two banking or finance degrees you might take
- Compare your subjects and predicted grades against both lists
- Agree any subject change or resit with your guidance counsellor
Map of banks, credit unions and lenders near you
Most people can name the two or three big commercial banks, but the same town usually holds credit unions, a development bank, building societies or mortgage lenders, international or offshore banks and the central bank itself, each hiring for different roles. A simple map of who employs bankers within reach, and what each one is known for, widens your target list and sharpens every application.
First tasks
- List every bank, credit union and lender with an office within commuting distance
- Note the size, ownership and main customers of each one
- Find out which ones run school leaver, trainee or graduate intakes
- Rank your top eight employers with a reason beside each
