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Name: Tyler Holbert-Catania
Class Year: 2020
Major: Economics-Finance
Position: Retail Banking Intern
Company: Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank
Can you describe your career path for me? (This may include HS jobs, internships, etc.)
I started out in the restaurant industry as a busser and events server. My family has been in the hotel and restaurant business my entire life as it is my family’s legacy. I thought that one day I would want to go into hospitality but after working in the industry I quickly realized that was not for me. I have always been interested in finance, the world economy and money. I worked in marketing for Mercedes-Benz, Toyota as well as an Advertising company based out of Rhode Island. I came to Bentley seeking a high level of challenge and education in Business. It was here that I found economics and finance. This summer I had a job in banking working for Cape Cod Five. While I loved the company, coworkers and customers I realized that banking itself was not for me either. Throughout my journey there has been one thing that has remained the same; I want a future in a client-facing industry. I am highly interested in wealth management and financial consulting. Both financial units work with customers and businesses while incorporating high level analysis and hands-on work.
How did you become interested in this career?
I became interested in financial consulting after taking my mergers and acquisitions course at Bentley. I think Financial Consulting is extremely interesting because you incorporate a variety of skills in operations, marketing and finance to better a business as a whole. Additionally, I became interested in wealth management sophomore year when I interviewed a high level executive for Morgan Stanley. After hearing about what he does on a day to day basis I thought that could really be something that I could thrive in because it involves working with real people while making an impact. This was only solidified when I used my internship with Cape Cod Five to get an informational meeting with the Chief Wealth Management Officer of the company.
What aspects of your position do you find most rewarding?
In my internship at Cape Cod Five, it was most rewarding working with customers. You’d be surprised how flattered customers get when you remember their name and remember how they want their cash denominations. However, it isn’t hard to remember when you have the select few that come in every single day. While that was rewarding I still found the job not challenging enough I felt like I wasn’t making an impact or doing the level of work I know I am capable of.
What aspects do you find most challenging?
The internship was to be a summer bank teller. Normally you hear teller and you may think that it is easy, but that is not the case at all. There are many regulations that banks need to follow and tellers need to be aware of. We have to submit suspicious activity reports for cash transactions over a certain amount. It is also important to make sure we are following due diligence for our customers and checking identification for those cashing checks and withdrawing money. It is important to double and triple count money coming in and out because one miscount and the entire system is unbalanced.
What advice do you have for someone preparing to enter this career?
If you are looking for a job in banking, starting as a teller is extremely important and is usually how you get your foot in the door. Many high level executives in banking started out as tellers because they truly get to see everything involved in banking. However, I cannot really give advice on entering the career path I truly want to pursue because I, myself, am still trying to get onto that path.
Are there any Bentley specific courses or resources you would recommend to help someone pursue this career?
Bentley has Finance classes on investments and financial consulting. Those would both be beneficial in gaining knowledge before entering the work force in either consulting or wealth management.
Who is one person at Bentley that helped you get where you are today?
This is a really tough question for me because every year I have had different people that have given me advice or helped me in different ways. One person in particular helped me by giving me some tough love and hard truths. That person no longer works at Bentley but was my boss for two years when I was her RA; Micah Thomas. Micah met with me and when I stressed she would always tell me what I needed to hear. She would push me to get out of my comfort zone, to achieve and do more. I owe some of my successes to her.
