By Sydney Bever, Projects Coordinator, iCube, Tennessee Tech
Does your bank have an answer to this question? A considerable number of banks in Tennessee have expressed a need for young, talented employees on staff at their bank. The Tennessee Bankers Association has found that most banks do not currently have methods in place to help college students gain work experience in banking. To find a solution to this concern, TBA has teamed up with the iCube at Tennessee Technological University to construct a website to attract qualified students to the banking industry. The site, BankCareers.org, provides students with the opportunity to learn about the many positions in a bank—marketing, IT, HR, and management—that can grow into banking careers and to gain practical work experience in professional bank settings statewide. The program is designed to benefit both students and banks by matching banks with young, talented individuals to accomplish their work objectives.
The site is meant to be an easy tool for banks to use to draw young talent in their bank. The bank will create a profile that will include photos and videos as well as links to their social media. Banks will post opportunities, and any college student who has joined that particular bank can apply to and obtain. The bank will be able to view a pool of students who apply, connect with them, and choose the most desired candidate. As the website advances it will become a place to host full time career opportunities as well.
The site will benefit banks in more ways than one. Having ambitious students in your bank will bring fresh ideas and perspectives. Engaging with BankCareers.org will create a recruiting edge on campuses across the state for your bank. Currently, we are working closely with Tennessee Tech, East Tennessee State University, The University of Tennessee Martin, and Middle Tennessee State University. Your bank will hire skilled labor in a cost effective way to identify and retain talent for long term employment. All banks will have the opportunity to be highlighted on both the website’s social media and the site itself. We want to spotlight a different bank every few weeks to showcase distinctive bank cultures and vast community involvement.
iCube will target universities, create creative campaigns, develop themed microsites, design print materials, and run all social media platforms to engage students. TBA will target the banks, run email campaigns, distribute print materials, and promote the website on TBA social media.
We have worked diligently to construct the site to become an effective resource. Several banks have been recruited to post opportunities on the site. The goal is to expand to all banks in Tennessee and involve as many college campuses as possible to truly make this a statewide initiative. Any school is encouraged to get involved whether it is a community college, private or public institution. As the website grows to its full potential, we intend for it to provide young, qualified workers for your bank so you can continue the great work within your community for years to come. Begin your journey of shaping the bankers for tomorrow by signing up your bank on BankCareers.org.
