Banking Fundamentals Class Launches College Grad's Career

May 11, 2023 - Three and a half years after graduating college, Hope McLean was on the verge of giving up thinking she was going to make a career in the financial industry. But then she signed up for Richmond Community College’s online Banking Fundamentals class in February 2022. She completed the class four months later in June, and within two weeks she was hired by State Employees’ Credit Union in Pineville to be a financial services representative.

“When I finished the interview with the credit union, I had such an overwhelming sense of belonging, as if I had finally found my workplace home. I am pleased to say that sense of belonging is still true to this day,” said McLean, who lives in Monroe.

McLean, of Monroe, has always had a love of math. She also loves the Japanese language, so when she went off to college at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she majored in Japanese and minored in Actuarial Mathematics. She was hoping to find a career that would combine the two, but she ended up working a variety of different jobs that did not spark her interest. They just paid the bills.

That’s when her mom told her about RichmondCC’s Banking Fundamentals class that provides the basics about banking services and the day-to-day duties of a bank teller.

“The only reason I agreed to take the class was the fact that it was short-term as opposed to a two-year degree program. After graduating college, I had no desire to continue my education,” McLean said. “With no income and having to use resources to find new employment, I felt a short-term class was perfect for my situation.”

In the Banking Fundamentals class, students learn about daily transaction procedures, payment functions, banking trends, compliance examinations and suspicious activity reports.

“The class also emphasized the importance of customer service in financial institutions. Without people, banks cannot function,” McLean said.

The class also requires students to write a resume and practice for job interviews using the resources at RichmondCC’s Career & Transfer Advising Center.

“The staff at the Career and Transfer Center gave me thorough notes on the weak points in my resume and helped me word my skills more appropriately for the banking industry. They also provided feedback for my in-person interview without changing my responses or my personality,” McLean said. “This advice was crucial and gave me insight as to why I may not have been offered the job at previous interviews with financial institutions.”

The motto of the State Employees’ Credit Union is “People Helping People,” and McLean said she sees it in practice every day.

“My previous jobs taught me that working with people who care about you is a blessing and should not be taken lightly,” she said.

McLean said she would recommend RichmondCC to anyone who is looking for career assistance.

“In four months, RichmondCC gave me the resources I needed to procure a job in the financial industry, whereas I struggled to do so for about three and a half years,” McLean said.

McLean also gives credit to her faith in Christ for where she is today.

“I had no job, no income, and no prospects. I was simply trusting Jesus to make a way for me," McLean said.

For More Class Information

The next Banking Fundamentals class is June 5 through Oct. 1. It is offered 100 percent online. Cost is $180, plus textbook fees. Scholarships are available for the class. To sign up, call RichmondCC at (910) 410-1700.