5 Years a Banker – The Story of a misfit who flourished

Sometimes in life, it just happens. There are no explanations, not even a warning signal. About 5 years ago, a slightly nervous yet excited young man stared at the “Allahabad Bank – Vellore Branch” board for a full minute before walking into the manager’s cabin. It was his first day at work as a probationary officer. He was not related in any way to the field to have chosen it as a career path (Expect that his dad was a banker), having graduated it Bioinformatics and worked in a corporate giant like Wipro (albeit for a few months). Yet somehow it all just clicked for no reason at all. This is not just my story but could be related to any of the hundreds and thousands of youngsters who join this grand old industry.

Part of the reason why I joined a mid-tier bank like mine despite having offers from two other highly ranked banks is what I thought would be a moderately good working culture. And boy was I right! Especially with the kind of people I got to work with and more specifically my fellow officers. I have never called myself as a complete banker, probably never will. And a lot of my fellow mates have been more surprised than the people who recruited me on why I am in this field. It’s true that I am bit of a misfit in this industry not only because of my background but also because of my interests that could vary from writing to making a movie (all of which my job allowed me to do). But two things made me stay put and enjoy my work. One is that I have always done what my heart told me to and second is undoubtedly my fellow officers. You see, it can be mildly frustrating (to put it mildly) to answer basic doubts from a fellow officer who has been here for more than 3 years. But that’s what I did. God knows how frustrating it can be. But they all had a smile on their face and a willingness to help me no matter what. That’s not easy to find and I am incredibly lucky that way. And it’s not every day that you sit down with your managers at the end of a hard day’s work and talk travel, literature and exchange books. That’s dream if you ask me.

It frustrates me when sometimes people look down of a bank job but it also amuses me on how less people know how good it can be. Yes, there is pressure and yes there is work and lots of it and every branch is always under staffed. But the greatest thing that being a banker had done to me is that I never had a phobia of Mondays. It just doesn’t make any sense to me when I see people post about Mondays because there had not been a single time where I thought “Oh My God! It’s a Monday!” The fact that I am writing this on a Monday evening says a lot. There is a lot of work but it’s never monotonous. There is pressure but there is also satisfaction. The sense of achievement that you get when you make some stranger’s life better is unparalleled. This is say despite working exclusively as an urban banker. It multiplies exponentially if you are a rural banker. This is a field where its personnel actually make a difference to the society. It’s not a “Facebook will pay 1 dollar for every like” world. This is the real deal and it’s tremendously satisfying to be an agent of actual change.

It just felt right to write this because my friends in banking proved me wrong you know. I never thought I will find these many good folks in my line of work given that I work in an office that has 10 people. There is great camaraderie and respect. There is hardly any rivalry even when appearing for promotions together and a genuine sense of happiness when a fellow officer is promoted and a responsibility to get everyone up to the next level. I mean, name one corporate where you can find mates like this. I may not end up retiring as a banker but whatever time that I spend here will most definitely be some of the most special years of my life and I have my mates to thank for.