32 years ago I began my work experience in private banking, going to a selection of personnel to be trained to occupy different positions in a bank called Caracas Bank,C.A, which was a benchmark in the national banking and also presented more than 100 years of founded, it was an honor for anyone to work in that institution.
I was selected for an intensive course with monthly pay called Integral Training Course for Executives. We started with 25 participants who would be trained in the area of banking and finance, learning about the financial world from the point of view of a bank, the management of banking agencies, the evaluation of clients who could be natural or legal persons, analysis of financial indexes, analysis of corporate cash flows, bank accounting, tools for the sale of financial products and above all how to treat a client, which is known as service culture.
We were emphasized that a bank is an intermediary entity where people keep their money, this good can be lent to other depositors and therefore an interest rate is charged, which in this case is regulated by a central bank.
Another important aspect was that we were forced to keep up with all the economic news of the country, it was a ritual to read the press every day, we had to wear a formal dress and be aware of a schedule that began at 7:30 am and ended at 5:30 pm.
I acquired a lot of knowledge in this course, however the standards required of us were very high, the evaluations were weighted between 80 and 100 points, those who got a grade lower than 80 points, should drop out and thus lose the option of working in the bank.
We made presentations to different Area Vice Presidents and many of the questions we were asked were very ruthless for us who were just starting in the banking area.
Many could not stand the pressure that was put on us, others simply did not pass the evaluations with the required grade, and the end result was that only 5 of us passed the course.
Once we finished the course we had the choice between becoming bank agency managers or working in a department at the main office or one of its subsidiary companies. I chose the second option, and I was assigned to the Automotive Division at the Investment Bank Bancaracas, C.A., where my boss knew a lot about automotive financing for vehicle dealers, that is to say what was called Major Vehicle Plan or the acquisition of vehicles directly from the assembly plants.
This knowledge was passed on to me and I was in charge of suggesting to the Bank's Board of Directors the revolving lines of credit to the dealers so that they could acquire the vehicles that would later be offered to the public.
Additionally, according to the experience of each client (vehicle dealer) I classified them according to what was specified to me by the General Superintendence of Banks, which was an important task because depending on this, financial provisions were established to avoid losses and protect the clients in case of a future eventuality.
The work was hard, but I liked it. I faced some problems with co-workers who did not feel as committed to the bank as I did.
My hard work earned me the position of Automotive Credit Supervisor, earning me more enmity as there were people who wanted that position but didn't earn it.
I was given the opportunity to participate in the creation of a product called Crediauto, which consisted of direct financing to natural or legal persons for vehicles. I was also assigned personnel to analyze the cases that I had to present to management for approval.
I worked at the bank for approximately 5 years and left because I did not agree with the salary I received.
If I have to talk about luck I have to comment that in 2001 I started working in the state bank. I accepted the job because I really needed to generate income after a 4 month unemployment, in addition I was raising money for my marriage.
At first the pay was less than my previous salary where I was a supervisor and now I would be a credit analyst in the metropolitan area of Caracas. This didn't matter to me given my plight.
Really given the experience I already had the job was very easy, and I managed to stand out above the other credit analysts, plus I really like to teach what I learned in other jobs and more if the area is the financial.
Source
But something strange I began to notice within the team where I started working, and it was that my colleagues from one moment to another changed their lifestyle, dressing with quality clothing, acquiring real estate and vehicles of high cost, which was impossible to do with the salary we received.
One day I was inadvertently called to the area of the Vice-Presidency of Credit and my great surprise was to find that the Vice-President was one of those who once witnessed my presentations of credit cases at Bank.
We greeted each other cordially and he immediately handed me a letter in which he assigned me to another department and confessed that all my co-workers would be under the staff's orders until doubts were cleared up about how they suddenly changed their lifestyle.
This person told me that everyone in the department had open investigations and the only one who presented a behavior free of doubts and suspicions was me, in addition, he told me that my work in Caracas bank was always satisfactory and of quality, that was something that filled me with satisfaction.
Later, my co-workers were fired because they were found to be charging commissions in cash to customers.
My hard work brought me a good reputation. I faced challenges and opportunities for growth. I consider that I contribute to the good of society and my work is an act of love for the people I serve.
Hard work also helped me to be lucky because the Vice President of the Credit Area, upon learning of my background, removed me from a work environment that could have contaminated me ethically and morally. In the end, with the fruits of my labor, I was able to quickly raise enough money to marry my girlfriend and get the down payment for the purchase of an apartment.
I worked in an Amusement Park counting entrance fees and tickets for candy and snacks, this job got me out of a lot of debt and I got it by pure luck by going to an anonymous ad in the newspaper where they were looking for a manager.
Although the pay was good there I didn't really learn anything new, and the positive part was that I could ride the mechanical attractions without paying as many times as I wanted. High maintenance costs and poor management caused the park to go bankrupt 6 months after opening. As I said, this experience helped me to cover my back expenses and I was able to catch up with my post-graduate studies in Finance.
The jobs that require more effort have left me with more recognition, and have given me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. An easy job, obtained with luck serves to satisfy certain needs but does not help us to evolve at the level of knowledge, it is as if we were stuck in one place and could not get out of there.
I think that with our actions we ourselves forge our good or bad luck in life.
Thank you very much for reading my post. A big greeting to this multifaceted community called Hive Learners.
The first image is a collage made by me using the Canva design tool and the free-to-use images posted on Pixabay. These are the sources: Source, Source.
The third and fourth images are my own and were taken with my Umidigi F2 cell phone.