Informational Interview
I was given a project by my counseling professor at Skyline named Doris Garcia. The objective is to contact a professional in the field that we are interested in. With that being said, Ms. Garcia connected me with one of her colleague who is now a Business Banking Relation Manager at Wells Fargo and his name is Jeffrey Santiago. To understand the business world even better, I asked Mr. Santiago questions about his career and these questions are:
1.) What’s your full name and current position at the moment?
My full name is Jeffrey Santiago. My current position, I just actually changed position I’m now a Business Banking Relationship Manager. I’ve been with the crew for a year now but I’ve been with the bank for 9 years.
2.) If you don’t mind me asking how much do you make a year?
I mean it varies obviously with the incentives we’re gonna be making, for my solo relationship manager here depending obviously if you perform on that level it could easily be around $100k to $120K and that’s the goal.
3.) What does the job expect you to do?
I manage a portfolio of business customers we work directly in a corporate office. For example, with me I have 250 clients with a revenue being at least about anywhere from 1 million to 6 million. That’s kind of like my bread and butter, that’s my sweet spot in my segment. It’s called the regional small business banking crew and only Wells Fargo has it. I serve as a primary contact in regards with anything business related from service to sales.
4.) What’s one of the goal you and your crew have for your clients?
The goal is if we can help that customer eliminate some of the task their doing or basically take it off their plates, where they can basically use that time to work running their business. A lot of the times you have a business owner that has a one man shop where he/she does everything. We implement a lot of technology services, it’s kind of like cost benefit tool for them. It is very important to have those type of tools because for example you have those business owners who spends hours of time and paying an employee which might not be the most efficient, a lot of the times they’re not aware of what technology we have to kind of help them eliminate those unneeded tasks.
5.) How did you start or how did you get into your position?
Just like you, I went to college straight from high school. I went to UC Santa Cruz and in my last year of college that’s whenI started working in Wells Fargo, I started from the ground up. I started as a bank teller and then it kind a got my foot at the door as a personal banker, and then I got promoted again as a business specialist and that’s how I started working with business owners. I was managing small businesses in the branch, with revenues under a million dollars and then I got promoted again as a Senior business banker with higher goals working with different type of clients, more flexibility I’ve been here since October 2016 and then where I’m at now, a Business Banking Relation Manager.
6.) What advice can you give to students who are trying to major in business or planning to work at a banking environment?
You really want to give yourself experience, obviously get a feel of a banking/business environment. Do some internships and volunteers. Also, you can start working as a bank teller so that you’ll get more understanding of how a bank works.
7.) What’s the easiest and hardest part of your job?
The easiest part of my job is to have a good group that I work with, have a good manager and culture where they really look out for clients and their development. If I don’t know how to approach a certain task I can ask for help and I think that’s very important in a company where teamwork makes everything workable/doable. I have a lot of resources here. The hardest part of my job is being organized because sometimes you’re working in a large portfolio of clients so you’re being pulled into many angles. For example if you’re working on a specific client or a specific deal and right out of the blue you get pulled by a different customer which is why sometimes I get things mixed up.
8.) What are the necessary skills that a person must have to be successful in that position?
Organization, partnership is key, responsiveness, urgency and initiative. You gotta look at their business as your business because if you’re not responsive enough their not gonna trust you with their business.
9.) Is business your first chosen career?
No, to be quite frank with you I was actually a science major. I was a biology major in UCSC and when I was a junior I got to the point like I can’t go back now! I have to finish what I started, at the time I had to be honest with myself I was majoring in Biology because that’s what my parents want me to major in. I didn’t really desire that, I searched and luckily I started off working at a bank and making my feet wet.
10.) Do you think education is necessary to get into that position?
Education gives you a head start and an advantage, but frankly you don’t really need it you can work your way up. As long as you’re dedicated and passionate on what you do, you will keep on moving and you’ll continuously excel on what you do. Just remember on who you’re doing it for and why you’re doing it.
What stood out to me the most is when he said, “You gotta look at their business as your business, if their business become successful, yours will too”. I think that’s hard especially if you’re working with multiple client but as he said, “you gotta be responsive and urgent for them to trust you with their business”.