Independent Banker - December 2024 - 63

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" The process that I went through
wouldn't have been as successful
without the help of some very
experienced mentors within
our organization. "
career a very enjoyable one. "
The interns get a lot out of the
experience, says McGuire. " The
biggest benefits I see are developing
people skills, understanding the work
environment, learning how their
performance is evaluated and building
their work experience and resumes. "
He notes that even his own kids
have worked as part-time employees
-MELISSA MORETZ, FIRST CITIZENS BANK
while in high school and college.
" They started by helping to clean
the building in the early morning
hours of the day, " he says, " and this
helped them learn responsibility
and accountability. "
Cultivating a mutual advantage
The program also offers several
" In particular, our retail
department has done a tremendous
job welcoming high school and
college students into its department
and training them in customer
service roles, " says McGuire. " This
has been a great way for us to stay
connected with the next generation
of both potential customers and
potential employees. "
Typically, the bank has two to
three interns each summer-even
during the COVID-19 years-for a
total of about 20 interns since the
program started.
Building a lifelong career
While the bank has not had as much
success hiring interns directly into
full-time employment as McGuire
wishes, he thinks that is only one
measurement of success.
First Citizens Bank has also had
the opportunity to be connected
to other current and potential
employees and customers through
its interns.
" For example, we have an employee
who started with us seven years ago
as a credit analyst and is now a
lending officer, " he says. " We became
connected to her through her sister,
who was an intern for us in 2016. "
That employee is Melissa Moretz,
vice president and lending officer.
" I have enjoyed working for First
Citizens Bank for the past seven
years for several reasons, " she
says. " I have had the opportunity
to grow in my career by gaining
knowledge over time to be an asset to
my customers. "
According to Moretz, much of
that learning process was completed
by adding one responsibility at a
time, starting with underwriting and
analyzing financials and then moving
into direct customer relationships.
" The process that I went through
wouldn't have been as successful
without the help of some very
experienced mentors within our
organization, " she says. " As my father
always told me, it's not necessarily
what you do for work but who you
do it with that makes it enjoyable,
and the people here at First Citizens
have really made the early part of my
benefits to First Citizens Bank itself.
" There is a certain enthusiasm that
comes from all new employees, and
certainly student employees and
interns bring that to our culture,
which is great, " he says. " We also
benefit from new social connections
with the students and their circles
of influence. "
The community bank is actively
considering changes, improvements
or modifications to the program in
the near future. " We regularly talk
about what could improve for the
students' and interns' experience with
us to make it both fun and valuable to
them, " says McGuire.
" As I have talked to students over
the years, I have consistently heard
that a 'bad internship' is one where
they are bored, " he says.
" It is a commitment from the
organization and managers to take
on interns who you know will leave
you soon after starting, " he adds, " but
we have to look at the value these
short-term employees bring and how
it can help us learn and grow at the
same time. "
William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.
independentbanker.org // 63
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - December 2024

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