During my three months of working with the company, I'm happy that they brought valuable skills. I don't know if I can still work as a corporate slave after witnessing their hardships. Additionally, the salary for an entry-level job can only support one person. Kidding aside, I will miss my supervisors who were very hands-on in training me in the bank industry. However, since I finally ended my 600-hour shift, it's time to move on and focus on my main priority in life. Without further ado, let's get started.
How Did I Find This Company?
Before we begin my journey in the bank, let's get in first on how we started.
On the fourth week of May, I saw my friends' Facebook story where they started to look for internships at Cabanatuan City. I'm a bit upset that they didn't invite me (kidding). After that sign to search, I immediately invited my cousin through our group chat as an accomplice. However, he said that they had a family gathering, and I realized that I would look only by myself. Yet, my friend who was in the GC sent me a DM and asked me if I would still continue my plan.
After that day, we started to look for different companies. My friend's target company was in the banking industry in our area, and I just went with the flow. Out of seven banks we asked, only three of them accepted our resume. The first company that gave us hope was Producers Bank. Then, Fico Bank and LandBank also received our intent to work with them. The rest of the five companies told us that they were not accepting OJT students.
On Monday, my friend was thrilled after she received a message that they accepted us. We should go to the branch for confirmation that we would proceed with rendering our time with them. I didn't get surprised about that news since I had strong guts that we would secure that company. That's because I know that other branches from Producers accept interns like us. Luckily, I didn't have difficulty securing companies that were near our area, and that's my biggest flex.
Tasks During My OJT
On my first day of OJT, they assigned me to the Loans Department. I already had an idea about them as my aunt said that most teachers loan there. Here are some of the tasks that I did from August 4 to November 5:
Stamping Documents - I still remember that it was my first task. If they didn't have any urgent tasks, I occupied myself with stamping their released documents with their company seal. Sometimes, I also stamped application forms for New Accounts.
Completing Forms - This was one of the common tasks that I did with them. I completed New Accounts, TSL Application Form, CCA, BenLife Insurance, or Loan Application Form.
Completing Submitted New Accounts and CCA - This was my favorite task since it made me extra busy. It also gave me the opportunity to become more flexible in filling out necessary information. For example, if they handed me New Accounts for September, I often completed the skipped questions. If I noticed existing clients with loans, I always collected their folders. This was a necessary step before we scanned it for Digicur purposes.
Scanning Documents - Sometimes, I did it when they needed to scan Loan Applications and send them to the upper department. I also did it when they needed to scan New Accounts for Digicur purposes. This was helpful, especially for storing necessary information.
Sorting Released Documents - This was the most urgent task that I did every time they had a new release of applications. My task was to make sure that there were no missed documents and that they were neatly arranged.
Communicating With Clients - If they were on the field or busy with their reports, I was the one who secondarily communicated with their clients. It's still crucial if there was a supervisor who answered their concern.
That's just one of the few tasks that I did in the workplace. Personally, there were times when I got bored from waiting for more work. My strategy to ensure that I had something to write in my Daily Task Report was to ask them every morning. However, it's frustrating when they just shook their heads since they didn't have tasks. I even worked in the other department if they needed more workforce.
Pros of Working With Them
Here are some advantages from working at Producers Bank.
Proximity to the Home: Compared to working in another city, Producers Bank is closer than other companies at San Jose. Fun fact that it is only two kilometers away from my home. Therefore, even if I traveled ten minutes before the shift, I wouldn't get late unless there was traffic.
Thoughtful Supervisors: When I worked with them, they were generous in terms of food. Ironically, they tended to be angry if I didn't get their prepared food even if they permitted me. Moreover, I remember that I didn't eat rice at lunch (only B1T1 Burger) and my supervisor was a bit worried. My reason was partly true since I told them that I was full from my aunt's birthday. But, I didn't tell that I needed to reserve my tummy as my aunt treated us Samgyup for her son's 18th birthday.
Professionalism: Compared to working with my co-students, they were always professional in handling every problem. They also didn't speak vulgar words like they were in the house. It's also not the typical bank that promotes infidelity or hatred in the workplace.
Cons of Working With Them
If there's a pros, there's a cons.
Boredom: I don't get why my main supervisor was angry if I didn't do anything. But if you look at my situation, I was just waiting for tasks. It's sometimes hard to blend with the environment since you're prohibited from handling sensitive data. There were weeks where I found tasks to do for the day. If they oriented me about the things I would do during my first day, I could avoid the lack of tasks in my first weeks.
Confidential Workplace Issues: During my first week, I already encountered behavior that made me uncomfortable. I dislike unnecessary negativity, especially since I can take constructive criticism well. It seemed like this was a common pattern in the workplace, particularly with one co-worker. I also heard conversations that felt unprofessional, which made me uneasy about what might have been said behind closed doors. My friends don’t act like that, and we only talk about issues when they’re relevant.
Non-office Tasks: It was normal for them to assign errands that were not related to our actual office duties. Honestly, it's prohibited in our practicum. We just followed it since I didn't have many tasks in the office and wanted to entertain myself. I often handled small favors or simple errands, even if they weren't part of my expected responsibilities.
Do I Recommend Them?
Now that I finally received my certificate of completion, I don't have plans to work with them. The salary is only P18,000 for new employees, and I don't know if they can support one household. However, if they offer me a job and I still haven't found one, I will accept it. I just hope that my plans will work since I don't want to work with that small salary. Maybe my co-trainee would accept the job as I can see her working in the institution. But in my case, I don't see myself rendering my time with the company.
P.S. I'm not saying that I'm more into salary, but I just have other plans in life.