I am an Assistant Regional Branch Manager of Lead Bank in Kansas City Missouri.

Being the first point of contact, most clients enjoy the personalized conversations that branch bankers offer. Our expertise with transactions, opening accounts, checking balances, and educating clients on new products and services, is invaluable. Our bankers spend most of their time assisting and interacting with people through various channels; online, by phone, Zoom, or in person. A downside to being a banker is seeing clients go through a tough time; we become invested in our clients and always want to see them succeed. Those times allow our bankers to become creative and offer imaginative solutions. Each day is different and energizing for a branch banker.

Younger bankers have the opportunity to develop relevant life skills that they may not have learned in the classroom. We depend on bankers to become experts on essential skills like one-on-one conversations that make people feel comfortable and important, cash handling, counting cash, saving money, and understanding how loans work. This expertise benefits them later in life when they consider student loans or even buying a home.

It’s an exciting time to be a banker! While the banking industry is evolving thanks to advancements in technology and a constantly changing economic environment, the banking profession offers career stability and the incredible opportunity to help local small businesses succeed. When I was in high school, I remember that daunting feeling of trying to choose what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” I wish someone would have recommended banking to me sooner; I love that my career also positively impacts our communities.