Tips for Getting a Job as a Bank Teller

Whether you’ve had prior experience or not, it is certainly possible for you to get a job as a bank teller. Do you enjoy both interacting with people and handling cash transactions? Perhaps you’ve worked as a cashier before, and are interested in taking it a step further to a bank.

Before even embarking on this specific path, however, make sure that you 1) have the skills required of a bank teller and 2) would actually enjoy the role. If you have neither of the two, then the following tips won’t help you in the least!

Firstly, do you enjoy conversing with people daily? Tellers speak to many customers each day on the job, and must do so with a pleasant demeanor, even if the customers themselves may not always be pleasant. Secondly, are you comfortable dealing with cash and payments? The role of a teller revolves around cash transactions for the bank’s customers, so if you are not at ease with it, then you may want to rethink becoming a bank teller.

If you answered yes to both the above questions, terrific – you are indeed ready to start your bank teller job search process. The following tips will help you to land the job.

1. Know the typical duties and responsibilities of a bank teller.

It may seem basic, but you should know the functions of a bank teller. Do you understand the significance of the bank teller’s role?

The bank teller is the ‘front line’ in the commercial banking business. Tellers are often the first and only personnel customers encounter, so they are very important as bank representatives.

As the ‘front line,’ the teller is also responsible for detecting, and thus stopping fraudulent transactions, such as counterfeit currency, false checks and identity theft.

Thus, the bank teller has to be comfortable interacting with customers while handling cash transactions at the same time. The teller should be friendly and courteous, addressing customer questions, providing information about their accounts and bank services, as well as quickly and accurately processing routine transactions. Routine transactions include making deposits and withdrawals, cashing checks, collecting payments, advancing cash, and issuing money orders.

Other important responsibilities include promoting the bank’s products (loans, mortgages, investments), resolving customer issues, and balancing the vault, cash drawers, and automatic teller machines (ATMs).

What does this mean for you?

During the application process, demonstrate clear communication skills, professionalism, and strong arithmetic competency. Certainly, you ought to demonstrate responsibility, reliability, and accuracy, as well as understanding of customer needs. Appearance also matters, especially when speaking to customers, and thus a clean, well-groomed appearance is mandatory.

2. Understand the differences between bank types, and decide specifically on the bank(s) you’d like to work for.

There are differences in the national, regional and small, hometown banks. While national and regional banks may operate similarly in style, hometown banks are more intimate.

The differences don’t stop there.  Each bank has its own culture. Understand the bank’s culture by reading the website and staying abreast of the latest news and developments. Consider what you like about the bank and if you’d like to be a representative of this bank as a bank teller.

3. Make sure you meet the qualifications.

In addition to the criteria cited in #1, you should have a high school diploma, good credit, no criminal record, several references, employment history and basic computer skills.  Experience providing customer service and handling cash is extremely beneficial, even as a grocer cashier. Many banks don’t require previous bank experience, and include on-the-job training.

4. How to search and apply.

There are several ways of finding teller opportunities. Check the bank’s website first, as many banks have career sections that list open positions for which you can apply. Those with no experience working in a bank will want to look at ‘Teller’ or ‘Teller 1’ positions, as those are entry level.

Check online job boards as well, as they list a plethora of job opportunities, including teller positions.  Your local paper is also a good source of advertised openings.

Finally, you can also contact banks directly via phone or email, or through employment agencies.

Once you’ve focused on your hopefuls, make sure you put your best foot forward. Demonstrate your penchant for customer service and cash handling in your application, and make sure you have examples in your resume, and certainly during the interview.

Why do you want to become a bank teller?

If you can articulate why, and why you are the right candidate, be confident and enjoy the application process.

Good luck!