Parts of a Bank Officer's Job - Essay Example

My job in future As a business administration major, there are many opportunities I can pursue upon graduation. The world of business is vast, and deciding what is the right path to follow is a daunting task. Not all businesses are the same. Some skills that are valued in one industry might be a liability in another. After considering my strengths and weaknesses, I believe that the best fit for me after graduation will be to pursue a career as a bank officer. The title of bank officer is one that can apply to many different jobs within the bank. All of them are management positions. This is what I really want to do. Bank officers need to have a skill set that allows them to excel at many different tasks. All of the work is within the banking industry, of course, but within that narrow delineation, I can see that bank managers have to be able to do many different jobs. The first thing a bank manager must be able to do is to understand all of the programs, goals, and products the bank has to offer customers and employees. Understanding all of this requires a person that is willing to spend a lot of time reading manuals and memos sent from the highest levels of management. Deciphering complicated text and putting it into simple, usable terms is a talent that I have. In this way, a bank officer needs to display the concept of followership. This idea of followership is what a person must obtain before they can be a good leader. Ideals of followership include the ability to think and act critically, give and receive constructive criticism and to be creative and innovative all within the bounds set by senior leaders (Bantu-Gomez, 2004). I have exhibited these skills as best I could throughout my college career. The idea of followership is very attractive to me because I have always felt it was easier to follow someone who was willing to work alongside me instead of always looking down on me. By understanding the programs and goals of the bank where I work, I feel I will be able to set a good example for my employees by following established protocols and encouraging support for upper management decisions. Intertwined with the idea of followership is leadership. As a bank officer, I will need to exhibit integrity and honesty in my communications with all employees. I believe that this is the foundation of all real leadership. True leadership cannot be obtained if the employees do not respect their manager. Even more important as a leader is the fact that lack of integrity and morality on the part of a leader has the potential to hurt individuals and a company even more than an employee with less authority (Emler, et al., 2001). I have found this to be true because I have been a part of organizations where the leadership was found to be untrustworthy and at times, immoral. As a member of the organization, it is difficult to describe just how disappointing and bewildering it is to be let down by someone you thought you could trust. As a bank officer, I will need to keep my word to my employees and satisfy the demands placed upon me by senior management. This is surely a tricky thing to do, but I believe that acting with integrity by not making promises you are just going to break later will make it possible to manage effectively. Another task of a bank officer that I am suited to do is that of analyzing the operations of the bank. I have excelled in my classes in college that required me to solve real-life problems. I think that these are the types of situations I am best at addressing. Analysis as a bank officer is usually reserved for the most experienced and educated officers. This is the position that I eventually wish to accomplish. I will obviously be lacking in experience at the start, but I am committed to getting more education as I gain experience. The idea of looking at the conceptual framework of a bank and reorganizing it to make it run better and generate more profit sounds like a great job to me. I am able to think abstractly and being an analyst is one of the jobs that require this. Without the ability to communicate, all of the above skills are actually worthless. Communication skills are vital for all managers but are especially vital for a bank officer. So much sensitive information passes through the hands of a bank officer each day. The ability to frame instructions in a manner that makes sense to employees and upper-level management is vital for a bank officer. The ability to communicate well through writing and speaking is something I have worked hard to master. Spelling, punctuation, grammar, and pronunciation have never been strengths of mine. But I do not believe that I should give –up on my goal simply because it will be difficult to achieve. A determination is something I need and have shown in order to communicate more effectively. I have improved greatly throughout the course of my schooling. Communication is more than the ability to speak and write correctly. I believe that as a bank officer, I will need to master the art of reading people and displaying empathy for their feelings. Communication must be sent and received if it is to be effective. Whether the relationship is within a family or in the workplace, skills such as showing empathy, listening and being sincere will determine if the relationship is a happy one or one that is full of stress and misunderstandings (Eğec and Gençöz, 2006). I have had many successful and happy relationships at school and at home. I have always believed that honest communication without conceit or arrogance is the best way to gain friends and followers. Letting employees know that is acceptable in a clear manner helps them to understand why something they have done might be unacceptable if that situation arises. The final skill that I have obtained that will help me to be a great bank officer is the ability to multi-task. A bank officer may need to act as a salesperson when talking to a customer, an analyst when changing a procedure that is not working and a marketing professional when making coordinated plans with another bank officer (Bank, 2006). Wearing many different hats and playing many different roles is something I have excelled at through my college career. I have had many different responsibilities to my family, friends and even an employer, not to mention what I had to do to accomplish my schoolwork. Having many different responsibilities is enjoyable for me and I am good at focusing on the task at hand. Being a good follower and a good leader, acting as an analyst, communicating clearly and multi-tasking are all a part of a bank officer's job. I have obtained many of these skills and am perfecting the ones I am still weak in. My degree in business administration will also help me understand the theory of management. For these reasons, I feel I am well suited to being a bank officer. Work Cited "Bank Officer Career - Career as a Bank Officer." MBA Today | Masters in Business Administration - MBA Salary and Career Info. Jan. 2006. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. . Banutu-Gomez, Michael Ba. “Great Leaders Teach Exemplary Followership and Serve As Servant Leaders.” Journal of American Academy of Business Cambridge 4.1/2 (2004) : 143. Eğeci, Sine and Tülin Gençöz. “Factors Associated with Relationship Satisfaction: Importance of Communication Skills” (2006) Contemporary Family Therapy. Volume 28, Number 3, 383- 391, DOI: 10.1007/s10591-006-9010-2 Emler, Nicholas; Cook, Tina Roberts, Brent W. (Ed); Hogan, Robert (Ed), Moral integrity in leadership: Why it matters and why it may be difficult to achieve. Personality psychology in the workplace. (2001). Personality psychology in the workplace, Decade of behavior (pp. 277-298). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association, xv, 337 pp. doi: 10.1037/10434-011 Read More