High School

Most banks today prefer to hire individuals who have completed high school. If you take courses in bookkeeping, mathematics, business arithmetic, and business machines while in high school, you may have an advantage when applying for a job. Most banks now use computers to perform the routine tasks that workers formerly did by hand, so be sure to take computer science courses. Take English, speech, and foreign language classes to improve your communication skills, which you will need when interacting with customers and other workers. Some banks are interested in hiring college graduates (or those who have completed at least two years of college training) who can eventually move into managerial positions. Exchange clerks may be expected to know foreign languages. Additionally, some banks hire tellers who are proficient in one or more foreign languages to assist customers who do not speak English.

Postsecondary Training

Once hired, tellers, clerks, and related workers typically receive on-the-job training. At large institutions, tellers usually receive about one week of classroom training and then undergo on-the-job training for several weeks before they are allowed to work independently. Smaller financial institutions may only provide the on-the-job training in which new tellers are supervised in their work by experienced employees. Clerks may also need to undergo classroom instruction; for example, a bookkeeping clerk may need to take a class covering a certain software program.

To enhance your possibility of getting a job as well as increase your skills, you may want to take business-related courses or courses for those in the financial industry at a local community college. Courses that may be helpful to take include records management, office systems and procedures, and database programming. Those with the most skills and training will find they usually have the best possibilities for advancing.

Certification

The American Bankers Association (ABA) offers several certificates that will be of interest to bank workers, including a bank teller certificate, customer service representative certificate, and a certificate in fraud prevention. 

Other Education or Training

Numerous educational opportunities will be available to you once you have begun working—and gaining experience—in the financial world. For example, the ABA has a vast array of adult education classes in business fields and offers training courses in numerous parts of the country that enable people to earn standard or graduate certificates in bank training. Individuals may also enroll in correspondence study courses. BAI also provides continuing education opportunities.

Certification or Licensing

There is no certification or licensing available for financial institution tellers, clerks, and related workers. 

Other Requirements

Banks occasionally require lie detector tests of applicants, as well as fingerprint and background investigations if the job requires handling currency and finances. Those employees handling money or having access to confidential financial information may have to qualify for a personal bond. Some banks now require pre-employment drug testing, and random testing for drugs while under employment is becoming more typical.

No experience is needed to work as a teller or financial clerk, but those with prior work experience will increase their chances of landing a job, getting promoted, and possibly earning higher pay.

Because the work involves many details, a prime requirement for all bank employees is accuracy. Even the slightest error can cause untold extra hours of work and inconvenience or even monetary loss. A pleasing and congenial personality and the ability to get along well with fellow workers and the public are also necessary in this employment.

The physical requirements of the work are not very demanding, although many of these workers spend much of the day standing, which can be tiring. While working in this field, you will be expected to be neat, clean, and appropriately dressed for business.

Although integrity and honesty are important traits for an employee in any type of work, they are absolutely necessary if you hope to be employed in banks and other financial institutions where large sums of money are handled every day. Workers must also exhibit sound judgment and intelligence.