Becoming a branch manager requires so much more than quantitative skills or the ability to crunch numbers. A branch manager should also possess strong sales, people-management and customer-service skills, because a branch manager’s responsibilities include developing and maintaining a good relationship with customers and employees.
The major educational requirement for the position of a branch manager is an undergraduate degree in finance or a related field. However, some companies are willing to accept a candidate with a non-finance-related bachelor’s degree as long as they have a master’s degree in a finance-related field.
Other skills that are implicitly required of a branch manager are diligence, the ability to pay attention to detail, prioritization and multitasking skills and strong analytical skills.
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Owners of small businesses say they are more comfortable dealing with their branch manager than with a downtown lender.
»If the matter cannot be resolved by the branch staff, you should ask to see the branch manager.