Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

The queue moves quickly, but a continuous stream of people make their way through First Calgary Saving's front doors. It's the end of the month. Bills are due, cheques need to be cashed. The teller, dressed in a sweater, tie and dress pants, offers a polite greeting and an offer to assist. Those one-on one dealings with people of all stripes rings throughout the institution, almost regardless of position.

"I help members with deposits and withdrawals," explained Brad Miller, a member service representative (teller) with First Calgary. His days, working a rotating Monday to Saturday shift, are spent on his feet dealing one-on-one with members of the credit union. He enjoys this situation, because, he admits he's not a salesman, and working in a credit union means people come to him for help.

After completing extensive in-house training, Miller, in under a year, has worked his way to the second level of member service representative. That won't be his last stop. "My ambition is to get into personal banking," he said. "You have to go through the steps." With a business diploma in financial services, Miller knows he's found the right industry. "I don't like to read or write. Numbers come easily to me and I enjoy working with them."

Counting cash, completing forms, and working on a computer are some of the regular duties Miller undertakes where he can use his numerical abilities. If a transaction is unfamiliar or extremely complex, Miller will call upon a manager of member service representatives, such as Kim Clark, for some advice on the process.

"I'm there as more of a support person or a coach to help them," Clark said. "Basically I'm responsible to supervise the tellers and for the cash flow of the bank. I do some dealing with the members if it's busy, where I'll jump on the front-line. I will help with complicated interactions. Usually I do that through the teller."

Like Miller, who is working his way through the ranks, Clark has also put in time training and gaining experience. After working for a cheque cashing company, Clark's husband was transferred to Calgary, so she began applying to businesses holding opportunities for her already-developed skill set. "I came in as senior teller for about one-and-a-half years and through that I got some background for the things I need in this position."

Not only does Clark have experience in dealing with people and their finances, she enjoys the work. "The best part of the job is you get to deal with people everyday," she said. "I wouldn't do well if I was in an office and couldn't talk to people." And it's those people-skills that will determine success in this field, she said. Fine-tuned listening skills and having an ability to help solve problems without adding to them are key.

As with most industries, being in a supervisory role means Clark sometimes has to work a little later than her scheduled shift. But that extra work also means she's taken on more responsibilities, in part, because of the opportunity for in-house training. "All the financial institutions I've worked for are willing to train their staff and participate in their staff's education," she said. "That is a reason why people can grow in the organization."

Another First Calgary employee looking to further develop within the company is personal banker Darryl Brown. Already armed with a bachelor of commerce degree, a Canadian securities course, and seven years of financial industry experience, he enjoys the on-going learning required in the fast paced world of saving and investing. "There's always something new and things are always changing," he said.

As a personal banker, Brown deals with many complicated issues such as mortgages, mutual funds, term deposits, taxation issues and Registered Retirement Saving Plans (RRSPs). "In a day I'll open a new account, help somebody re-invest some money, help somebody apply for a loan, or transfer a mortgage," he said. Most of those people walk in, rather than book appointments. Much of work is also done over the computer.

During RRSP season, January and February each year, Brown's computer works almost non-stop due to the overwhelming number of people looking to buy financial products for tax savings. Also at this time of year, he, and other personal bankers, aren't able to take holidays. The volume of work also requires a Sunday or two in the office at RRSP time. But Brown takes it all in stride. "I enjoy the interaction with people, helping people and explaining things to people," he said. "It's a consistent pay cheque and it's dependable."

Being a personal banker also means being assertive at times. "You have to be fairly aggressive," he said. "They're sales positions. You've got to be asking for business and you have to be able to say 'No, I can't do that loan for you' and word it in a way so you're not making people mad."