Introduction: My name is Janice Wilson. I am a Zone Manager for Standard Bank & Trust. Co. My home office is located on Rte. 59 in Shorewood. I oversee the managers and staff of 7 bank branches for my company or about 70 people. I’ve been with Standard Bank for one year.

Initial Interest: I first became interested in financial services in Graduate School after taking some investment course work. I began my career as a financial analyst and 5 years later was managing a finance department for a mid-sized Chicago based firm. I took time off (13 years) to raise a family and came back into the work force 7 years ago in the banking industry.

Schooling: A four year degree is usually required for someone in my position. I have an MBA with a concentration in Finance but that is not the norm. I have also held various investment licenses.

Training: Most banks offer some type of formal training program. Most of mine has been on the job experience and learning by doing. There are many laws and regulations that govern banking that do not change from bank to bank.

Salary Information: I receive a base salary plus commission which varies month to month. The range is $75,000-$88,000 for this type of position.

Typical Day: I spend a lot of time at my other branches and not a lot of time in my office. During branch visits, I meet with the staff and do observations and coaching. I attend many outside community events and internal meetings. Each day is different and I enjoy that.

Personal Skills Needed: You must be suited to service and sales. An outgoing personality and an organized approach is required when you have 7 unique branches to look after. It’s all about relationship building… with your team and with your clients.

The good and the bad: I love what I do. What I love about it is that my job is always different and challenging. That’s also what I sometimes don’t love about it. It’s hard to find any down time for planning and strategizing or even taking a mental break. I do a lot of that in the car on my way from one branch to other or from one function to another.

Closing: Despite the stereotype, bankers are not stuffy! We are mostly sales people with a passion for educating people about their financial well-being. I see myself as an educator, a motivator and a coach.