At the start of 2009 there were 48 banks licensed to conduct business in Guernsey, employing in the region of 2,800 people. The products and services they offer can vary greatly, depending on the customers they serve. Consequently, while some career opportunities are generic across the industry, others will only be available at some banks.
The high-street bank is probably the most familiar as it provides essential services to the local community, whether individuals or businesses. That’s where your current account is likely to be. In addition, there will be savings accounts available and it will probably be the place where you would arrange a personal loan or even a mortgage. There will be other products on offer, but these are the core services.
Building societies and one or two other banks specialise in attracting deposits from customers, often by offering high rates of interest. When collected, those monies are usually (ultimately) loaned to other group customers, perhaps in countries such as the UK.
Then there are the private banks, which provide services to very wealthy individuals. In addition to the offering of deposit and loan facilities, there is often the need to provide (or have access/referral to) investment, tax planning and estate management. While some clients of private banks are likely to be local, the majority are from other jurisdictions and require experienced, knowledgeable staff to assist in the management of their affairs.
Other banks specialise in offering services, not to individuals directly, but to clients (usually companies) of the other parts of Guernsey’s financial sector – fund administration, investment, fiduciary (trust) and insurance. Indeed, these are often the largest banks found here in terms of numbers employed.
Typical services and, therefore, career opportunities:
We have already mentioned that banks provide traditional services such as deposits in multiple currencies, personal loans and mortgages, as well as access to very specialist areas. There are several more in addition to these, and below I have listed the main ones, as well as mentioning some of the key support areas upon which banks rely in order to support their clients and businesses. These all offer career opportunities.
- Global custody – looking after client securities
- Credit – provision of sophisticated, complex facilities
- Treasury – managing a bank’s foreign exchange/interest rate exposures and international money transfer
- Financial control – managing the bank’s expenses, producing financial information and monitoring capital and solvency ratios
- IT – managing mainframe and PC networks, communications (phones, email, video etc.)
- Compliance and risk – ensuring that the bank operates within the law and at an acceptable level of risk
- Relationship management, sales and marketing
- Business services – personnel, receptionists, messengers and filing
Who is eligible for a career in banking?
As illustrated above, there are many different types of career available within banking, and the industry is always on the lookout for graduates or young people with good A-level qualifications.
Historically speaking, however, banks have found significant numbers of individuals from other sources who have either built successful careers or been happy to play important roles in dealing with the day-to-day requirements of running a successful business. Therefore, people from other parts of the finance sector, individuals with other experience and skills, working mums and those wishing to return to work, should also consider applying for roles.