Courtney Bryant’s career path has “not been the most conventional,” she shares. And it took a detour at a different bank for her to realize what a great fit INB is for her.
She started in August 2008 as a teller at INB’s Chatham branch, but eventually took a year break and went to a different, larger bank.
She quickly realized how much she missed INB and her “work family,” so she returned to Chatham. And after so much experience collaborating with various departments as a teller, Courtney had a good idea of some opportunities that were open to her.
“That’s when I saw a Deposit Operations position open and decided to apply,” she says.
Familiar Story of Advancement for INB Tellers
It’s a familiar story to many of our INB staff members, who started their careers as tellers before moving into different positions at the bank.
Not only does INB prioritize internal hiring, but we also emphasize the importance of training and support for our tellers.
When a teller gets hired, they will spend their first week with a trainer in the branch working with customers. “Then we pair them with a mentor who will work with them over the next six weeks to make sure they have a solid understanding of their job duties,” says Kelly Raison, VP, Retail Operations and Process Improvement Manager.
Tellers also receive focused training sessions on various topics and one-on-one coaching with their manager. Eventually, they have the opportunity to cross-train on other duties that will be beneficial to future promotions.
Teller Job Prepares Employees for Career Advancement
“The best piece of advice I can give to a new teller starting out is: Don’t just look at this as another job, but as a career opportunity,” Courtney says. “Get to know your coworkers, not just in the branch, but throughout the bank. This can lead to conversations about where you see your career path going.”
Courtney ended up landing the job in Deposit Operations, where she spent five years. She then tried a new position in the Customer Care Center, which made her aware that she thrived “being in the background of the bank.”
“So back to Deposit Operations I went!” she says.
After some time, she felt a nudge to expand her knowledge and do something completely different. That’s when she moved to Loan Servicing to learn about INB’s different loan products. But when a compliance position became available, she jumped quickly.
“These positions in compliance are a rare opportunity, and I knew I wanted to throw my hat in the ring!” she laughs.
Currently, Courtney is a Quality Control Specialist for INB Compliance. And she’s grateful for each role that led her to this position today.
“I have learned so much from each department I had previously worked in, so I could take that knowledge and bring it to our compliance team,” she says. “You can learn something from every single person at INB.”
If you feel something is outside of your comfort zone, Courtney’s suggestion is: “Try it! You never know if that is something you would be interested in.” And she gives credit to her managers in each department for equipping her with the confidence she needed to advance her career.
“INB has excellent managers who have supported my knowledge in the bank. They don’t want to just show me my daily tasks, but they also have given me opportunities to expand my knowledge in the tasks that may not just be my job but affect different departments as a whole,” she says.