Personal bankers are bank employees who provide customer service and sell bank products that are beneficial to customers. Tellers on the other hand manage routine transactions.
A personal banker works with both new and existing customers, guiding them through their bank’s products.
They might work with consumers, businesses or both. In this post, we will discuss in more detail as to what a personal banker is so continue reading below!
What Is the Role of a Personal Banker?
A personal banker is someone who helps clients with tasks such as opening or closing an account, purchase a CD or roll your money into an individual retirement account.
The exact responsibilities of a personal banker vary by the bank at which they work at. Generally speaking, personal bankers help with complex transactions that take more than just a few minutes.
Other responsibilities of a personal banker might include providing positive consumer relationships, planning effective sales strategies, answering customer questions, tracking the performance of current financial products and making projections for the future.
What Skills Do Personal Bankers Need To Have?
Personal bankers should understand the tellers responsibilities such as handling cash and basic banking procedures.
They should also have an in-depth understanding of their bank’s policies and procedures and the products that they offer to customers.
Because they interact with customers very frequently, whether it be in person, over the phone, or by email, personal bankers need to excel in verbal and written communication skills.
If a seriously dissatisfied customer causes a scene, the personal banker must remain calm under pressure and defuse the situation. This is all part of customer service.
How Do You Become a Personal Banker?
Personal banker positions require a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Some banks prefer that you also have some banking experience before but this is not always required depending on your situation.
You are also expected to have basic computer skills and know how to use programs such as Excel and Word.
You could apply for a position as a personal banker directly, or you could start as a teller to gain some banking experience.
Once you have experience as a teller, you could apply for a personal banker position with that.
Sales experience is also a plus, so you could start in retail sales to develop your sales skills first.
If you have a college degree in business or finance, you might want to try applying for the personal banking position right away because some banks will count that as experience.
How Much Does a Personal Banker Make Per Hour?
Salaries for personal bankers will vary depending on where you live. The areas with high cost of living might pay more than an area with a lower cost of living.
Tellers have a median pay of $14.16 per hour but personal bankers do more complex work than tellers, so you could expect to make more as a personal banker.
According to Glassdoor, personal bankers self-reported salaries are an average of about $37,000 per year.
Choosing Personal Banking as a Career
Personal banking is the career for you if you enjoy working with and helping people work towards their future.
You’ll be guiding customers toward making smart decisions with their money and educating them about banking.
Working as a personal banker can help you develop skills that you could use to move into more advanced positions like bank management or financial advising.
In a way, you are helping their future while working towards your own future.
Bottom Line
Personal banking might be the career path for you. It is important to understand that the personal banker works with both new and existing customers, guiding them through bank products, and much more.
We hope you learned a little more than you already knew through this post.
If you’re looking or interested in more posts like this, check out our full list of Best Bank Promotions for more options as well as our list of bank guides that might answer any questions you have!