Bank Teller

FACTS:

• Of the roughly 560,000 bank teller jobs in the US in 1998, about one-third of them worked part-time.
• The average personal savings account balance was $3,466 at the end of 2000.
• Banks process more than 65 billion checks per year; nearly 200 million checks each day.

THE JOB:

Bank tellers are icons of the banking industry. Tellers make up more than one quarter of all banks' employees. Some of a bank teller’s responsibilities include cashing checks, accepting deposits and loan payments, and processing withdrawals. Bank tellers may also sell savings bonds, accept payment for customers’ utility bills and charge cards, process necessary paperwork for certificates of deposit and sell travelers’ checks. Some tellers specialize in handling foreign currencies, or commercial or business accounts. In many ways, this is the quintessential customer service job. Technology continues to play a large role in the job duties of all tellers. In almost all banks, for example, tellers use computer terminals to record deposits and withdrawals.

SKILLS:

Attention to detail is enormously important in this job; an extra zero can mean tens of thousands of dollars. But not only does a bank teller need to pay attention to detail, he needs to do it while working quickly so as not to keep customers waiting. Excellent communication skills are a must, because tellers deal with people all day. Tellers must be courteous, attentive and patient in dealing with the public, because customers often judge a bank by how they are treated at the teller window. Maturity, tact and the ability to explain bank procedures and services are important in helping customers complete transactions and make financial decisions. In some metropolitan areas, employers seek multilingual tellers. A good grasp of basic math is also important.

EDUCATION:

Almost all tellers have at least a high school education. Usually, new tellers in large banks receive at least one week of formal classroom training. Classes are followed by several weeks of on-the-job training, in which tellers observe experienced workers before doing the work themselves.

OUTLOOK:

The number of bank teller jobs is projected to decline because of ATMs. Since so many bank services have been automated –- and made available online--the need for tellers will continue to taper. For the foreseeable future, banks will need to have a point of personal contact, so this job will not disappear altogether. Although the number of bank tellers is declining, it’s a high-turnover field, and there are plenty of opportunities for those aspiring to this position.

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