Meet Alyssa, Deposit Operations Specialist I

On the Beneficial State Bank team since: December 2021

Based in: Central California

The Deposit Operations Specialist I works under our Central Operations department. Central Operations is our back-office team that supports our retail and commercial banking staff and clients. The Deposit Operations Specialist typically oversees customer deposits, stop payments, our ATMS, closed accounts, and more.

How long have you worked at Beneficial State Bank?

It will be two years in December 2023. It went by fast, and a lot has happened during this period. Central Operations was starting to mature as a department when I started, and we needed new written procedures and documentation. In the last two years, we have made lots of improvements. Luckily, I’ve done similar work at previous jobs, including creating trainings, packets, and procedures, so this is nothing out of the ordinary for me.

What made you want to work at Beneficial State Bank?

I was not looking for another job at the time. I was happy in my previous role at another community bank. My mother-in-law was sick at the time, and I was balancing caregiving and work responsibilities. I took a leave of absence from my job to care for her, and eventually, I started looking for other positions. I interviewed with Beneficial State Bank, which was down the street, more personable, and offered more flexibility to take care of my family responsibilities.

What is your background? What did you do before working here?

I worked at Central Valley Community Bank before working here. I went to school for Forensic Sciences at Fresno State University and considered being a data clerk for an attorney. I originally wanted to take a break between receiving my bachelor's degree and starting my master's program, so I pursued banking full-time. I do hope to go back to finish my master’s degree in the future.

What experience helped you get your current position?

Banking started as an accidental career for me in 2014. I was 19, in college, and wanted to earn some extra cash. I had a friend who worked in banking then and referred me to the bank she worked at. I interviewed with them and got hired as a teller at my first bank! When it came around to my annual review, my manager asked if I wanted to keep being a teller or if I wanted to grow. I decided I wanted to grow, and over the years, I performed different roles, including being a team lead and managing five people at the Central Valley Community Bank call center.

Can you walk me through a typical day working at Beneficial State Bank?

Morning

I wake up early to take my mom to a kickboxing class at 5 AM. We go to class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. After class, I get home and pack my husband’s lunch. I check for my cats before opening the door to take my dogs out. I do a little cleaning up around the house before I leave for work. Since I live less than 4 miles from the branch, I usually ride my electric bike that my husband got for me to get to work.

Starting work

I begin the day by monitoring and responding to emails in our inbox. Our team takes turns monitoring emails that come to our department. My time slot is first.

I then start balancing all of my General Ledgers, balancing all our ATMs, checking on inactive accounts, and looking at stop payments and closed accounts. These are just some of the things I do in my role.

Afternoon

I usually bring in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or noodles for lunch. During lunch, I like to check on my bills, send out personal emails, and make phone calls just to make sure I’m organized and caught up on responsibilities in my personal life. After my lunch break, I usually check up on our Regulation E claims (fraud claims).

After work

I jump on my electric bike and head back home. I let my dogs out and refill their water. I then make a snack for myself. Since my husband gets home later than I do from work, I like to make a snack so that we can have dinner together when he gets home. After my husband and I have dinner, we spend the rest of the evening together.

What are the challenges with your job?

Just like with any career, there’s going to be challenges. Because we’re growing as a bank, we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments, such as creating new procedures and training documents. Since many of our processes are new or being redeveloped to support the Bank’s current activities, our team sends many reminders and shares feedback with our colleagues, which helps us be more consistent and accurate.

What are the best parts of your job?

I can bring my older pitbull-chow to work. At our branch, we sometimes have up to four dogs in the office at a time! After a difficult conversation or a frustrating task, I have a dog to pet, and I can take my dog on a little walk, which gives me a mental reset. And my team takes moments to laugh and have fun together.

Any life-changing experiences or special moments working at Beneficial State Bank?

My team was very supportive when I was going through some challenging times in my personal life. They would give me advice and share resources with me to help me out. It’s nice to have the opportunity to share my life with my team, knowing they will always be there to support me.

What advice would you give someone interested in beginning a banking career?

Banking is a career. You can start in this industry and work your way up. There’s always a different department or a different type of role that you can transition to without having to start over. You can stay with a company and change positions and try new things until you find what you like to do. There’s nothing wrong if a particular role is not for you. Try something new! There’s a lot to learn and take in, but it becomes natural over time.

This interview was conducted and written by Sierra Carroll, Beneficial State Bank's Customer Service Representative based in Oregon.