reflection ...
When I was assigned to do a job shadow as part of my junior year contribution towards my senior project, I was in distress. I had no idea who I would job shadow, or even what field of work I would pursue. Luckily, a credit analyst at the Bank of the Sierra in Porterville was kind enough to let me job shadow him on January 16, 2015. I contacted him because he was my brother’s co-worker, and I thought it would be a good idea to ask him, since I knew I could get a hold of his contact information. His name is Francisco Cisneros, throughout the day I got front row seats to observe what his job was like on an average day and then at the end of my time there he let me conduct a short twenty minute interview where I asked him a series of questions ranging from what education level was required to work in that field to how lenient the dress code was. He was very cooperative and gave me good advice in case I would want to follow in his footsteps. Admittedly, I knew that I didn’t want to be a credit analyst when I scheduled the job shadow, but it seemed like a safe plan B, in case I never discover what my dream job is. Now, after doing this job shadow, my perspective, on jobs in the financial field of work, has changed and because of what I learned while job shadowing Mr. Cisneros, I have an increased interest in that field of work.
The first thing I recall from when I arrived at the branch that he works at in Porterville, was being welcomed by all of the employees in the surrounding area. Right after we formally introduced ourselves, he very kindly offered me a cup of coffee. Afterwards, he showed me what computer programs he used the most for his line of work, and gave me a brief lesson on how to use them. He said that it was very important to know your way with computers in his line of work because you’d have to work with technology more frequently than with paperwork. I got to ask him as many questions as I wanted and he was very willing to answer as best he could.
Towards the end, I conducted a brief interview with him where I asked him any other questions that I hadn’t gotten to already, and he was again, very cooperative. I learned about the education and job training required for that field of work. He was also kind enough to give me college recommendations that could provide me with the necessary education for reasonable pricing and not too far from home. There were several things I like as well as several things I disliked. One of the things I did like was the dress code,because it is professional and that way everyone looks put together and like they really know their stuff, which can help their credibility with their clients. I also really liked the leniency they have with their vacation time, because they can pretty much take it whenever they want, and it gets paid for by the company. Speaking of pay, their wages are quite decent as well, and there are many opportunities to get promotions and bonuses. Also, the hours aren’t too long, but sufficient enough. Mr. Cisneros was very friendly to me, which made me feel more at ease and comfortable asking questions. I also liked the relationship they can develop with their clients over time, because it gives them a deeper understanding of their ethics; often that can determine whether or not they can be an exception for a loan. I was relieved to see that they work mostly with computers, so that way I know that if I were to go into that line of work I wouldn’t be constantly dealing with loads of paperwork, and doing all the mathematics myself. Another thing I learned was that there’s more to it than just punching in the numbers and doing math. They actually have to be pretty well-rounded in order to make smart decisions on loans, they should know what the money would be used for and how it works.
The only thing I disliked was the fact that the atmosphere was so quiet, but it makes sense because everyone is busy working on their own tasks. Still, it just felt kind of stagnant, because there wasn’t really any change of pace, so I think I would get easily bored with that job, and I don’t want to end up working at a job that I don’t even enjoy. However, they are allowed to take their lunch whenever they want, so if they get tired of working non-stop and need a break, they can just take it. So that’s what we did, Mr.Cisneros, my brother, and I went out to a little café across the street. It was a neat experience because I’d never known the place existed, and it had unique food options. There we discussed what my next steps should be if I ever want to do something similar to him, and then we said our goodbyes.
Overall, it was a valuable experience because I got to practice how to present and behave myself in the professional world, it also gave me a lot of insight on what the job of a credit analyst is really like on an average day. It’s not my dream job, but I wouldn’t mind having it as a back up or safety plan, because it’s a very respectable career.
The first thing I recall from when I arrived at the branch that he works at in Porterville, was being welcomed by all of the employees in the surrounding area. Right after we formally introduced ourselves, he very kindly offered me a cup of coffee. Afterwards, he showed me what computer programs he used the most for his line of work, and gave me a brief lesson on how to use them. He said that it was very important to know your way with computers in his line of work because you’d have to work with technology more frequently than with paperwork. I got to ask him as many questions as I wanted and he was very willing to answer as best he could.
Towards the end, I conducted a brief interview with him where I asked him any other questions that I hadn’t gotten to already, and he was again, very cooperative. I learned about the education and job training required for that field of work. He was also kind enough to give me college recommendations that could provide me with the necessary education for reasonable pricing and not too far from home. There were several things I like as well as several things I disliked. One of the things I did like was the dress code,because it is professional and that way everyone looks put together and like they really know their stuff, which can help their credibility with their clients. I also really liked the leniency they have with their vacation time, because they can pretty much take it whenever they want, and it gets paid for by the company. Speaking of pay, their wages are quite decent as well, and there are many opportunities to get promotions and bonuses. Also, the hours aren’t too long, but sufficient enough. Mr. Cisneros was very friendly to me, which made me feel more at ease and comfortable asking questions. I also liked the relationship they can develop with their clients over time, because it gives them a deeper understanding of their ethics; often that can determine whether or not they can be an exception for a loan. I was relieved to see that they work mostly with computers, so that way I know that if I were to go into that line of work I wouldn’t be constantly dealing with loads of paperwork, and doing all the mathematics myself. Another thing I learned was that there’s more to it than just punching in the numbers and doing math. They actually have to be pretty well-rounded in order to make smart decisions on loans, they should know what the money would be used for and how it works.
The only thing I disliked was the fact that the atmosphere was so quiet, but it makes sense because everyone is busy working on their own tasks. Still, it just felt kind of stagnant, because there wasn’t really any change of pace, so I think I would get easily bored with that job, and I don’t want to end up working at a job that I don’t even enjoy. However, they are allowed to take their lunch whenever they want, so if they get tired of working non-stop and need a break, they can just take it. So that’s what we did, Mr.Cisneros, my brother, and I went out to a little café across the street. It was a neat experience because I’d never known the place existed, and it had unique food options. There we discussed what my next steps should be if I ever want to do something similar to him, and then we said our goodbyes.
Overall, it was a valuable experience because I got to practice how to present and behave myself in the professional world, it also gave me a lot of insight on what the job of a credit analyst is really like on an average day. It’s not my dream job, but I wouldn’t mind having it as a back up or safety plan, because it’s a very respectable career.
interview
Question 1: What training or education is required for this type of work?
Answer: bachelor's degree, economic/business background knowledge, experience in general business and finance environment, proficient knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Office
Question 2: What school(s) did you attend? Are there any schools you recommend?
Answer: attended Fresno State with a major in ag business, and recommends doing a business major because it gives you a lot of flexibility with what jobs you can get. Because it is so general, it will give you several opportunities. Recommends attending Fresno State, because low living expenses, it's nearby, and offers all to most of the required classes that other universities offer
Question 3: Do you work a lot of over-time?
Answer: no, almost zero
Question 4: Do you often take work home?
Answer: no, most people in this line of work don't. Everything is at work.
Question 5: How did you get started in this field?
Answer: as a credit analyst, he got a recommendation from a friend. He is interested in math, money, business related careers. This job opportunity was more convenient than prior job
Question 6: Would you consider this a highly stressful career?
Answer: not really, very low stress. Low to normal level of stress
Question 7: Approximately how much can a person expect to earn at a starting level?
Answer: In general $40-45,000 per year, but it depends on location, company, experience, education -- ex) someone with a masters degree would start off earning more than someone with a bachelors degree
Question 8: What qualities/skills are important to have a person working in this field?
Answer: in general you need to be punctual, responsible, good computer skills, communication skills, proficient financial knowledge researching skills, self-motivated, keep business separate from emotions (have an unbiased and assertive approach to the way you interact with clients)
Question 9: How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, work hours, vacation time, etc.
Answer: professional attire is enforced, set schedule of work hours, but do have flexibility with doctor's appointments, or personal issues that come up. At this point, I get two weeks of vacation and they're pretty lenient on when I can take them.
Question 10: What is the most challenging aspect of the job? What is most rewarding?
Answer: most challenging: you have to learn everything there is to know about his position, constantly having to update my knowledge of laws and regulations for the industry i'm in, even though there is a lot to learn, there is always something new come up. Most rewarding: being able to have a stable job that provides nice paycheck and knowing that there is always more money to make, as long as I put in a good amount of effort
Answer: bachelor's degree, economic/business background knowledge, experience in general business and finance environment, proficient knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Office
Question 2: What school(s) did you attend? Are there any schools you recommend?
Answer: attended Fresno State with a major in ag business, and recommends doing a business major because it gives you a lot of flexibility with what jobs you can get. Because it is so general, it will give you several opportunities. Recommends attending Fresno State, because low living expenses, it's nearby, and offers all to most of the required classes that other universities offer
Question 3: Do you work a lot of over-time?
Answer: no, almost zero
Question 4: Do you often take work home?
Answer: no, most people in this line of work don't. Everything is at work.
Question 5: How did you get started in this field?
Answer: as a credit analyst, he got a recommendation from a friend. He is interested in math, money, business related careers. This job opportunity was more convenient than prior job
Question 6: Would you consider this a highly stressful career?
Answer: not really, very low stress. Low to normal level of stress
Question 7: Approximately how much can a person expect to earn at a starting level?
Answer: In general $40-45,000 per year, but it depends on location, company, experience, education -- ex) someone with a masters degree would start off earning more than someone with a bachelors degree
Question 8: What qualities/skills are important to have a person working in this field?
Answer: in general you need to be punctual, responsible, good computer skills, communication skills, proficient financial knowledge researching skills, self-motivated, keep business separate from emotions (have an unbiased and assertive approach to the way you interact with clients)
Question 9: How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, work hours, vacation time, etc.
Answer: professional attire is enforced, set schedule of work hours, but do have flexibility with doctor's appointments, or personal issues that come up. At this point, I get two weeks of vacation and they're pretty lenient on when I can take them.
Question 10: What is the most challenging aspect of the job? What is most rewarding?
Answer: most challenging: you have to learn everything there is to know about his position, constantly having to update my knowledge of laws and regulations for the industry i'm in, even though there is a lot to learn, there is always something new come up. Most rewarding: being able to have a stable job that provides nice paycheck and knowing that there is always more money to make, as long as I put in a good amount of effort