The sad day will come when we will meet only robots in the banks, or won’t go there at all. Banking will be done only online, or with the help of artificial intelligence. Luckily though such a day hasn’t arrived yet. Face to face contact of people hasn’t completely vanished. You can still have chat with a nice bank teller with a welcoming smile, and have at least a slightly better feeling when bringing some money in, or taking some money out of the bank. According to the official labor statistics of US government, more than 300,000 people work as tellers in US alone. In order to join their ranks you’ll have to answer many questions, and one you will virtually always face (sooner or later in the hiring process) is “Tell me about yourself”. And while it isn’t the most difficult interview question in the world it isn’t easy either. What should you focus on?
Let me give you a simple yet effective advice: Focus on your strengths while introducing yourself in an interview, or while doing so on a job application form. Your strengths depend on your level of experience. If you’ve worked in banking before, or had any other similar customer service job (think call center, retail store, sales, etc), that should form the core of your introduction, since experience helps. When applying for your first job, however, you should focus on your skills, personality traits, or motivation. The key is to convince them with your introduction that you have what it takes to become a good bank teller.
Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question. You will find on my list answers for both inexperienced and experienced tellers, and basically a nice mix of answers, focusing on various strengths. I hope at least one of them will resonate with you and serve as your inspiration for your own, great interview answer. Enjoy!
7 sample answers to “Tell me about yourself” interview question for bank tellers
- My name is Mark, 27, and I just love communication. I am a firm believer that we can make someone’s day better with a smile, or with words of encouragement, or with simply being attentive to their feelings. I always wanted to work in banking, and since your bank is my favorite (my entire family has a current account with you), I decided to apply for a job of a teller with you. It seems a perfect match to my strengths and expectations. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my wife and discovering cultural sights in my neighborhood.
- My name is Caren and I’ve worked in retail for past 13 years. Call center, apparel store, pharmacy, you name it. And while I enjoyed each of these jobs and learned something in each place, I feel attracted to working in your bank, and trying yet another retail segment. My favorite part of work is sales, and I hope I can greatly benefit from my working experience and achieve exceptional results as a teller here. In my free time I enjoy listening to music and playing violin, though I do not have as much time for my hobby as I’d like to have.
- I would introduce myself in three words: Responsible, hard-working, positive. It kind of sums up how I approach both my work and personal life. I always give my 100%, and I try to see the good things even in the hard lessons. I guess it can help me as a Teller to deal with rejection or negative reactions with customers–something we cannot avoid regardless of how hard we try. In my free time I enjoy reading quality books and cycling. That’s a basic introduction, but feel free to ask about anything else that may interest you.
- I guess I am probably the most experienced teller you will interview for this job. Worked in the field for twelve years, for the same bank, but things happened and I didn’t get along with the new manger and decided to quit after such a long time. I love my job, the interactions with the customers, the monthly sales goals, the adrenaline, the working environment in the bank. Any situation you can imagine with a customer or a colleague in a bank, you can be sure I’ve been through it. I honestly believe this gives me an edge and your banking branch will benefit greatly from having me onboard. Hopefully you’ll give me a chance to prove my words in the job.
- My name is Tim, right out of high school, excellent communication skills, and super motivated to work for your bank. I’ve heard great things about your training program for new hires, and believe that attitude matters more than experience, since with the right attitude I can quickly learn to handle the job, and to serve the clients the best I can. I am a normal guy and enjoy spending time with friends, going for a good dinner or for a concert, watching tennis on TV, and sometimes roller skate to give my body some exercise. Have good people around me and the only thing I really miss right now is some meaningful job in a nice place, like your banking branch for example.
- Alice, 57, and still thinking that I have something to offer to my employer. When you’re my age you’re not hungry for promotion anymore, and you do not seek big money. You are grateful for every opportunity to work, and to still feel useful in society. I think I have a lot to offer, having worked with people for over thirty years now. But it isn’t easy to find a job in my age, regardless of the so-called “equal opportunity” corporations advertise as one of their values. Anyway, I do not give up, and hope you will give me a chance to demonstrate my attitude and motivation as a Teller here.
- I would introduce myself as someone looking for a career change. When you look at my resume you may easily consider me overqualified. After all I had managerial jobs, leading teams of 20+ people. But I must confess to you that I experienced a burnout, and more than anything else I am trying to simplify my life. Having said that, I still want to benefit from my excellent communication skills and sales skills. That’s why I decided to apply for a job of a teller. It sorts of personifies everything I am seeking right now in my professional career–simplicity, no subordinates, daily contact with customers, working in banking and finance… I feel I had to make this introduction to make things clear, but feel free to ask about anything related to my education, experience, or life outside of work…
Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check also sample answers to other tricky questions you may face in your interview for a teller job:
- Bank teller – Why should we hire you?
- Why do you want to work as a bank teller?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a teller?
