Being a college student is its own full time job. You have papers, tests, clubs, and for some, even a job outside of school. Very rarely do college students between the ages of 18-24 work full time jobs, unless it's the career they intend to have after graduating, so for the most part we're usually part-timers. Being that time is of the essence for college students, the plan is usually to get a flexible job with feasible hours that will allow us a balance between school and work. So needless to say, college students are not typically breadwinners. Which is fine, because that's why we're busting our a**es now, to make it count later. Personally, I've had about 7 jobs since I started working at age 15, and that's because I go for wherever an opportunity presents itself. I was a young girl just always trying to earn more, even if it was just an extra dollar per hour. My current job is the longest time I’ve ever given any employer, and that’s two years and counting. For years I’ve wanted to work for a bank, not because it was my career goal, but for several other reasons: stability, pay, polish up my resume, you name it. I honestly feel very lucky, because working for a bank as a college student has incredible benefits. However, like any job, it has its downsides, believe it or not. And today, I would like to give some insight on what it’s like to work for a bank while working hard for good grades in my classes:
Pro #1- HOURS
Need I say more? Hours are a blessing when it comes to working for a bank. My branch is an in-store branch, which means we have an agreement with the supermarket we're in which allows us to interact with prospect customers. The store gets more shoppers, and we get their business in the bank as customers, so it's a win-win. But because of this, my hours aren’t old-school bank hours from 9-4, but rather something like 10-7. That’s not every day, though, and on weekends I’m out by 3pm-4pm. One of the reasons I hated working in the mall were the hours! Working for a bank allows me to make my hours, leaves me free time for school work, and still have time for a night-life. WOOT WOOT!
Pro #2 – Connections
Banking is so much more than just a place to stick your millions when they no longer fit under your mattress. You’re exposed to connections at every corner, from higher management to even customers themselves. You have every opportunity to get to know people on a personal level-- you’re handling their money, so how much more personal can it get? And like any retail job, you have the opportunity to make great impressions. As long as you do your job with efficiency and to the best of your ability, someone will notice, and it’ll open doors for you within the company, and in general, that you never knew existed!
Pro #3 – Familiar faces
Dealing with the same people day in and day out coincides with my previous note about making connections. This helps build interpersonal skills that would come in handy for any career, if you ask me. I’m able to ask customers about their day, how their kids are, and speak about anything that comes to mind. I’ve learned how they prefer their money, how they do their banking, their likes and dislikes, and knowing a customer’s habits just makes the job ten-times easier.
Pro #4 – Hands-on knowledge about finance
Personally, I’m not big on the aspects of finance. As an English major I’ve found many correlations between my major and banking, but things like loans, mortgages, lines of credit, etc., were all new to me. Working for a bank allowed me hands-on knowledge on things I never had to sit down in a classroom for. I even learned to become better at saving, which is something I always struggled with. I’ve always been a better learner through seeing rather than listening, so being able to learn while at work is a huge plus in my book.
Pro #5- Paid holidays/vacations
Honestly, this doesn’t need much explaining. If we’re lucky, our employer will provide this for us when we hit the workplace years from now, but being a college student and reaping benefits like this? Oh yeah! Trust me, bragging is the last thing I intend to do. It’s more about counting my blessings, and it definitely comes in handy when you need a day off to study… while still getting paid ;D
Dun, dun, duuuuunnnnnnnn…
*Sigh* And here come the cons.
After 5 wonderful reasons to love my job, here are the 5 prices to pay as a result.
Con #1 – Pressure of handling other people’s money
Let’s be honest, how serious are we when it comes to our money? Pretty damn serious if you ask me, and a bank is the last place you would not want to trust with your money. As a banker, it is your responsible to ensure money is being deposited into and withdrawn from the proper accounts, as well as making sure the money count is always 100% accurate. Yeah, you read that right, 100%. Especially when counting your drawer at the end of the day. If your numbers don't add up, it costs your branch. Talk about pressure, huh? Any slip up, you make yourself look bad, your branch look bad, and your bank's name look bad as a whole. Not to mention the crazy legal issues you could be facing if you mess up bad enough.
Con #2- Goals
Ugh, the worst. Banking is more like retail than you think. Granted, it IS retail, but a lot of people tend to forget because it’s not your typical store retail. But our goals are just as crazy, if not crazier. The worst part is, even when you reach your goal, it never ends there. You’re constantly being asked, “What’s next?” and when it comes to banking, meeting goals gets tougher and tougher. People are often comfortable with their banking situations, and nowadays it’s becoming more and more competitive, so it’s harder to promote, convince, and seal the deal. Being in college with a million other things on my plate, the last thing I need is MORE pressure.
Con #3- It can get boring
Ah, yes. When business is great, it’s GREAT… but when business is slow, boy is it SLLLOOWWW. Luckily, we have chairs to sit down, but even that gets boring after a while. Working in an in-store branch, I can speak to the supermarket associates, but they also have a job to do, so that won’t last long. When I used to work in clothing stores, I was able to walk around more, or even refold clothes until my arms fell off to pass the time. But being cooped up in a small space with only 3 or 4 coworkers MAX, you start to feel those long hours more and more.
Con $4- Branch competition
Same bank, separate entities. Each branch does their part to ensure overall success within the company, of course. However, it is a dog-eat-dog world among the branches themselves, who will swoop in and steal a lead you've been working on for weeks if it means they’ll reach their daily/weekly quotas. It’s sad to admit, but it is what it is. There’s no bitterness between associates, because everyone pretty much knows the deal. It’s just business, not really personal, but to be a part of the bigger picture while still going head-to-head with neighboring branches is a feeling I’ll never be comfortable with.
Con #5- Risk of being robbed
I’m sure you all saw it coming, but yes, it’s a big one. We are all at risk of being robbed at any moment, in the street, in our homes—it can happen to anyone. But to be at work, just an average day, and to be threatened to give up money that isn’t even yours, adds a lot of pressure to the job. You’re scared, disoriented, and angry, because there’s nothing you can do but comply. Rule #1 is to never play hero, and I pray I never have to endure such a thing, because as much as movies have desensitized us to things like bank robbery, you must realize that when it does happen, it’s as real as it gets.
Overall, I’m content with where I am at the moment, even if it took seven other jobs to get here. As a college student, it’s always about gaining a new experience, in school and in life. Any job is a job, especially to a college student, so never let anyone make you feel inferior about something that is temporary while you’re working towards something permanent. I hope you learned something interesting, and thank you for reading!
