SECU Credit Union’s Post

Looking to develop a more defined career path? Is your journey currently even asking these questions? Are you working towards something in the future? If any of this resonates with you then you should be talking with us at M&T! #culture #defineyourcareer #nowhiring

Whether you view your career path as a journey or a destination, at Wells Fargo you can shape a career that aligns with your passion and goals. A meaningful career starts with a conversation. Reach out to Loredana Ambriz or Rich Chapman, AVP to talk about what is uniquely important to you in your career.

Texas

True story one Monday afternoon. I walk into the bank branch close to my workplace to complete a transaction. Then one of the cashiers (we’ll call Angelo) says to me: Angelo: “Oforma, how are you not working here, Bro?” Oforma: You guy’s hiring? (I tease) Angelo: Totally, Bro. You dress like a banker you’ll nail it. You’ve got that vibe. Oforma: (I laugh) I don’t know, man. I worked for a bank before, but I don't think I want to sp-- Angelo: *Cuts me off* Listen, I’m sending you this link. Apply and you could even say I referred you. Angelo: Just think about it, Bro. How did a guy I met 3 weeks ago at the bank get so invested in me? It’s called conversation. Just engage. Start talking to people.

Hello Everyone, As alluded to in my update post, I wanted to also take the time to reflect on the amazing people from Union Bank that I worked with and partnered with for so many years. Over 12+ years with Union Bank and what was accomplished, I have immense pride on how we grew the mortgage division from a small, single focus lending business to adding all products, adding multiple locations and States, and greatly expanding the Portfolio business including a highly successful Private Wealth lending group and the best Wholesale channel in the business.  This was accomplished with an incredible leadership team across both Operations and Sales. A big thanks goes out to Greg Seibly, Paul Appleton, Mike Hurley, Bill Bilicki and Rosemary Hernandez as well as Jim Francis and Celia Coulter for laying the foundation. Many Sales leaders were instrumental in this success which include Jered Barger, Finley Taylor, Brian J. Hughes, Samuel Assael and many others. A special shout out to Stephen Sherline, CFP®, you were an amazing partner to work with and the partnership led to the incredible work we completed and produced for our Wealth customers. Each customer was a unique challenge and puzzle, but you were pragmatic and levelheaded even as you advocated for your customers which led to us finding a solution almost every time. The Ops Team was paramount in this success and put in countless hours, did anything asked of them whether in the job description or not and had immense pride in customer service. Michelle McGuire Richardson, Danielle Savage, Rosie Olivares, Nicholas Fadden, Carolyn Nelson, Chris Smith, Nancy Wiseman and so many others. My senior Risk partners were also a big part of this success, while they had their jobs to do especially with this type of growth and production, they were some of the easiest to engage in discussions, go through options and be a part of the ultimate solution. Gary Walton, Robert Wandling, Brian Smith, Joe Serrato, Rob Graham, Matthew Kahn, Liz Gorman. Finally, my direct team of some of the most outstanding, top-notch senior credit administrators made my job easy. The amount of experience, talent, skill, intelligence and creativity from this team was second to none. They always knew I would be asking for challenging tasks and requests every time we were on a meeting or a call and they never disappointed and over-delivered. Meher Mookerjee, David Haugk, Sue Sousley, Rachel Thomas, Sandra Dee Barrowclough, cheryl Potocki, Brooke Shea and last but never least, Frank Bucher. This team will always hold a special place for me as there was never anything too big for them to take on and successfully deliver. There are too many others to name but the key to all of this was the teamwork across multiple areas to make this happen. This was an amazing organization I am extremely proud to have been a part of and look forward to keeping in touch with as many as possible going forward as we all find our next challenge to take on.

Attention 2SLGBTQ+ folx in Edmonton! We are hosting a 2SLGBTQ+ Hiring Event on December 1st - come down and learn more about careers with TD and network with hiring managers, Talent Aquisition team members, and 2SLGBTQ+ employees - including myself! See the link in the post below for more details. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🩵🤍🩷 #hiring #careers #networking #2SLGBTQ #yeg #edmonton #jobs #ForeverProud #ForeverProgressing

Florida

I was interviewing at Wells Fargo. A great opportunity in their investment banking department awaited me. I had prepared endlessly for this moment. And then out of nowhere, the very first question asked of me, threw me for a loop. I panicked. I started sweating, staring out the window with a pensive look on my face, trying to surmise an answer that would at least partially satisfy and allow the interview to continue. How long could I stall while I tried to drum something up? Anything. Anything at all. But alas, I was stumped. I had nothing. "I don't know," I finally admitted. I got blank stares in return. They were stunned. "You don't know how to pronounce your own last name?" They said, in complete shock. To say the least, I never heard back. You could say it's been a struggle. I truly don't know how to go about pronouncing my last name. I've come up with a few solutions over the years, some that sort of work. Like spelling out the last name alphabetically when checking into a hotel or dinner reservations. But having a difficult to decipher last name can lead to some really awkward situations, like the one mentioned above. Or the one where the news interview got canceled because I refused to say my last name. Or the fight I had with a car rental agent because he couldn't find my reservation based on the spelling of it. See, the "h" in my last name is pronounced as an "I" sound. Which means my last name is technically Satire. But therein lies the problem. Because if my last name is satire (do I capitalize here or not?), then pronouncing it correctly would mean being satirical. After all, that is true Satire. So to pronounce it correctly, would be wrong, because that would not be satire. And how do you pronounce your last name correctly if pronouncing it correctly is incorrect? That's the philosophical quandary I've struggled with my entire life. The only true way to pronounce Satire would be to pronounce it satirically. So, incorrectly. In a derisive and mocking way. Like pronouncing it as "Saturday," or "Sathye" or "Sarthe." All of these would technically be correct, even though they're technically wrong. The result is that I've come to despise having to pronounce or say my last name, because of the trouble it induces. Much like high school statistics class, there are no easy answers. Only, more problems. So if I introduce myself as Ben S or just plain old Ben please know, it's not because I'm concerned with privacy or insecure about my last name's origins. It's just simply that I don't know yet how to correctly pronounce it in a way that leaves both me as well as everyone else feeling satisfied. And before you ask (because I know you're going to), yes, this is Satire. 

S E V E N years ago, I started my credit union career. I’m thankful for my first boss, Laura who took her chance on me and hired me as a front line employee. Since joining the credit union movement, I have grown in all aspects of my life. The credit union movement is no longer a career but a lifestyle. After working on the front line for a short time, I had left briefly to work for a securities advisor and I am not afraid to admit that was the worst career move I had made for myself. It wasn’t long after that I found myself searching to get back into the credit unions. I started working for GEM Credit Union and I found myself back at home again. Kim & Susan pushed me to gain so much knowledge in all things small credit union. From working on the frontline, learning the ins & outs of debit cards and credit cards, assisting in accounting duties, gaining knowledge in ACH and share draft processing as well as maintenance of the building. We did it all and it was FUN. A few years into my career with GEM, I was honored to receive my CUDE designation. With this, I have been able to push and work through barriers that are preventing financial success for everyone and built great relationships with other DE’s. After completion of DE, we underwent a merger with Great River FCU. During the time of merger and conversion, I was tested mentally, physically and emotionally. This was very stressful time but looking back it provided so much growth. With this merger, there has been tons of career growth. I am now working in the operations department, focusing on all things card related. I have furthered my understanding in the visa operating rules, card disputes, worked through consolidating our credit portfolio as well as getting a full wrap around on the beast of the job: FRAUD. I always tell everyone when they start at the credit union: welcome to your new career. You will not want to leave. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 7/10/20 years. Our industry is forever growing and I am so excited to be a part of it.