Bank of America is one of the biggest banks in the United States, in terms of assets and employees.
Many people get a chance to work there, but only few of them succeed. Why?
- Most job seekers just have no idea what to do in their teller interview.
- Many people still believe that their experience and education matter the most. They can’t be further from the truth….
- Interview at Bank of America belongs to the most difficult interviews. It’s tough to succeed without an appropriate preparation.
Still, some people will get a job, and I will try to help you to become one of them.
1. Role play
This part of a teller interview at Bank of America scares most job seekers, as it uncovers their weaknesses.
You will typically play a teller, trying to convince your interviewer (who’ll play a prospect) to get a credit card, or to open a bank account with Bank of America. Or you will try to do something else that tellers regularly do in their jobs.
Before you start preparing for your role play, you should understand the following things:
- Interviewers do not expect to hear a flawless sales pitch… If they hire you, they will train you to do it better.
- Interviewers do not expect you to know all the features and benefits of the products and services Bank of America offers to their clients. Again, you will learn this before starting the job.
- All they expect from you is to lead a conversation with “the client”, to not be afraid of the task, to communicate, and simply to show that you have the right personality, and some guts.
Some job candidates say that they won’t do the role play, because they need to study the product features and bank policies, before they can try to sell anything to anyone. They think that they are smart, but in fact they just lost their interview–candidates who refuse to do the role play are never hired.
Banks want to hire tellers with courage. Therefore, even if your sales pitch is a bad one, it is still better to deliver it.
Key principles to remember:
- 1st principle: In a good sales pitch, you should ask your client many questions, instead of just talking about the product or service you try to sell them.
- 2nd principle: You should always look at things from the point of view of the client. What would they gain if they had the product? How could they benefit from having it? Why should they get this product and not the product from the competitor?
- 3rd principle: Talk about the benefits, not about the features.
How to act in your interview at BofA?
Act, as an ideal teller would act in their daily job.
An ideal teller has an outgoing personality. They are passionate about their job, like talking to people. At the same time, they are good listeners. Good teller definitely keeps an eye contact with the clients, acts friendly, but professionally at the same time. They should have some knowledge of the products and services Bank of America offers. And they should be happy in their job!
What does it mean for you?
- Keep an eye contact with your interviewers.
- Be friendly, and humble. Show respect in an interview.
- Let them feel your energy. The interviewer should see your passion for this opportunity.
- Listen carefully to all questions and be 100% focused on their words.
- If possible, show some knowledge of the banking products and services, and demonstrate it in the role play.
If you like these tips and want to see more, please have a look at Bank of America Interview Guide – an eBook I designed especially for job seekers who try to succeed at Bank of America. Thank you!
Jacob Gates,
Your Personal Interview coach