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Bankers work in the high-street branches, regional offices or head offices of retail banks.
What bankers do
- establish private and customers’ needs and advise on services available
- take responsibility for the development of all products and services offered by the bank
- communicate and implement sales strategies
- communicate and ensure effective implementation of corporate standards and procedures
- analyse data to produce accurate figures on the bank and banking trends
- write fluent and detailed reports
- manage and support staff.
Key skills
- excellent oral and written communication skills
- ability to think creatively and work under pressure
- ability to create and maintain good interpersonal relationships
- managerial and leadership skills
- analytical skills
- competence in IT
- the ability to speak a foreign language is increasingly advantageous.
Training to be a banker
Graduate training programmes in the banking world usually last for two years and include on-the-job training through a number of attachments at different branches and regional / head offices.
These are supported by in-house courses in areas such as leadership, customer service, security, etc.
The Institute of Financial Services (IFS) offers professional qualifications and most graduate entrants will take these as part of their training programme.
Salaries
Starting salaries are in the region of £20,000 to £25,000 and graduate entrants may also qualify for funding to study for professional qualifications.
A high level banker can expect to receive generous remuneration, sometimes rising to £100,000 or more, depending on experience and responsibility.
Professional bodies
- Bank Administration Institute
- British Bankers Association (BBA)
- Building Societies Association
- ifs School of Finance
