Career profile for Financial Service Representative

What does a Financial Service Representative do?

Financial Service Representatives interview persons desiring to open accounts in financial institutions.

In addition, Financial Service Representatives explain account services available to prospective customers and assist them in preparing applications.

What kind of tasks does a Financial Service Representative perform regularly?

Financial Service Representatives are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Perform teller duties as required.
Compile information about new accounts, enter account information into computers, and file related forms or other documents.
Collect and record customer deposits and fees and issue receipts, using computers.
Inform customers of procedures for applying for services, such as ATM cards, direct deposit of checks, and certificates of deposit.
Answer customers' questions and explain available services, such as deposit accounts, bonds, and securities.
Interview customers to obtain information needed for opening accounts or renting safe-deposit boxes.
Refer customers to appropriate bank personnel to meet their financial needs.
Investigate and correct errors upon customers' request, according to customer and bank records.
Issue initial and replacement safe-deposit keys to customers, and admit customers to vaults.
Execute wire transfers of funds.

The above responsibilities are specific to Financial Service Representatives. More generally, Financial Service Representatives are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships		Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards		Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

What is a Financial Service Representative salary?

The median salary for a Financial Service Representative is $37,750, and the average salary is $39,870. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Financial Service Representative salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Financial Service Representatives earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Financial Service Representatives earn less than $27,520 per year, 25% earn less than $32,170, 75% earn less than $45,450, and 90% earn less than $52,450.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Financial Service Representatives is expected to change by -16.7%, and there should be roughly 3,200 open positions for Financial Service Representatives every year.

Median annual salary: $37,750
Typical salary range: $27,520 - $52,450
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -16.7%

What personality traits are common among Financial Service Representatives?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Financial Service Representative are usually higher in their Conventional, Enterprising, and Social interests.

Financial Service Representatives typically have very strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Also, Financial Service Representatives typically have strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Lastly, Financial Service Representatives typically have moderate Social interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Financial Service Representative tend to value Support, Relationships, and Independence.

Most importantly, Financial Service Representatives strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Financial Service Representatives strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Lastly, Financial Service Representatives moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Financial Service Representatives must consistently demonstrate qualities such as integrity, attention to detail, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Financial Service Representatives, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

What education and training do Financial Service Representatives need?

Financial Service Representatives often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Financial Service Representatives usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Financial Service Representatives

1.6% did not complete high school or secondary school
18.5% completed high school or secondary school
34.5% completed some college coursework
13.6% earned a Associate's degree
25.8% earned a Bachelor's degree
5.2% earned a Master's degree
0.9% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Financial Service Representatives

Financial Service Representatives may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, sales and marketing, or administrative knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Financial Service Representatives might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing		Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics		Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Sales and Marketing

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Important Abilities needed by Financial Service Representatives

Financial Service Representatives must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Financial Service Representatives need abilities such as oral comprehension, oral expression, and written comprehension in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Financial Service Representatives, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition		The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Recognition

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Critical Skills needed by Financial Service Representatives

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Financial Service Representatives frequently use skills like active listening, speaking, and reading comprehension to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Financial Service Representatives, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Service Orientation		Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness		Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Financial Service Representative

Financial Service Representative

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