Abbie Patterson has been able to build a career that prioritizes her family, thanks to her very first position at INB.
Like many of our employees, Abbie’s journey first started as a teller, working at the INB South 6th Street branch. She was promoted in 2017 to Senior Teller and then again to Teller Supervisor at the Main branch in 2018.
She “branched out” from teller duties in 2019, moving to the Customer Care Center as a Customer Care Consultant. But January 2020 took her back to South 6th St. as she took on the role of Branch Operations Supervisor.
Of course, we all know now what Abbie didn’t know then: the COVID-19 pandemic was about to hit. And it was a tremendous concern to Abbie and her family.
Abbie’s oldest daughter was born with Rett syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting brain development in girls. This also puts her at high risk of respiratory viruses.
“My manager at the time, Cayla Keyes, and head of retail, Kathy Greer, were both very understanding of my decision to move back to the Customer Care Center in June 2021,” Abbie shares. “While I loved my role at South, this was a move I needed to make for my family.”
Abbie Builds a Career Thanks to Opportunity and Initiative
Over the years, Abbie has been able to seize new opportunities at INB thanks to the support and training INB gives to our tellers.
When a teller gets hired, they will spend their first week with a trainer in the branch working with customers. Then we pair them with a mentor who will work with them over the next six weeks to make sure they have a solid understanding of their job duties.
Tellers also attend training sessions and one-on-one coaching with their manager. They then have the chance to cross-train on other duties that may help them get promoted to other departments.
From Customer Facing to Behind-the-Scenes Work
Abbie eventually left retail and moved to loan operations as a Loan Servicing Specialist. As of June 2024, she is the Loan Servicing Portfolio Analyst.
“My move to Loan Operations was also very well received and was possibly my best career move to date. I love my team and current role and still use skills I learned as a teller every day,” Abbie says.
INB has always been “incredibly supportive of my career advancement,” she notes. And she loves that there is always so much to learn, regardless of what department you decide to pursue.
Abbie says she would advise anyone considering applying for a teller position to “go for it!”
“Coming into the banking industry as a teller gives you a great foot in the door and allows you to learn the basics of a system that you will likely be using no matter where your career takes you,” she says. “It also gives you the opportunity to create relationships with other departments in the bank that can help you decide what direction to take your career.”