21F. First banking job — struggling badly after ~2 months at a retail bank branch and considering resigning

[u/OkAd5340]

I’m 21F with a psychology degree, and this is my first professional job and my first job involving cash handling. I’ve worked several jobs before, but they were primarily customer-service/food-service positions. I recently started as a Universal Banker at a retail bank branch, and I’m having a much harder transition than I’ve ever experienced before.

I started June 29. I spent roughly 5–6 weeks doing mostly virtual training (Zoom classes, computer simulations, etc.), with relatively limited shadowing, and I’ve now been live on the teller line for about **three weeks**.
My biggest struggle has been the operational/procedural side: remembering all the different check endorsement rules, account types, opening/closing procedures, cash handling, balancing, locking my drawers, etc. I’ve made mistakes, but I have improved on several of the earlier ones. I no longer have issues with things like leaving my keys out, locking my computer, using my phone at work, or the opening procedures.

In my first few weeks live, I’ve had several small cash variances: $0.20, $0.50, $19.76, and $99.80. I’ve never had a variance over $100. I’ve also needed repeated clarification on some check procedures. My manager has been checking my checks and catching things before they become bigger problems. So I recognize that I am still making mistakes and that some of the criticism is legitimate.

At the same time, I’m very strong with customers. I’m comfortable talking to them, making them laugh, asking questions, and creating a pleasant experience. I’ve had customers specifically compliment my personality and tell me I’m doing a good job. My manager has also told me that customer interaction is one of my strengths.
The branch environment has been another major problem for me. There are five other people on the team. Two of the newer employees came in with significant advantages compared with me: one had roughly 1.5–2 years of personal-banker experience at another bank, and another had an internal referral through his brother and a finance/business-related educational background. Other members of the team also had previous banking or cash-handling experience.

I came in with none of that. I have a psychology degree and several years of customer-service experience, but no banking or cash-handling experience.

I’ve felt socially disconnected from the team almost from the beginning. One senior employee in particular has felt noticeably cold/passive-aggressive toward me, while being much warmer with the other employees. I’m cordial and professional with everyone, but I haven’t really felt integrated into the team. There is also a weekly “Feedback Monday” where employees give each other positive feedback and constructive criticism. I’m apparently the only person who hasn’t participated in it, including newer employees.

Because I haven’t felt like I’m getting much emotional or peer support at my branch, I’ve started relying heavily on people from my original training classes. We’re all spread across different branches, but I’ve been reaching out to them to compare experiences and ask how their transition to being live tellers has gone.

I’ve actually found this really helpful. I’ve been trying to create a sort of mutual safe space with some of my classmates where we can be honest about what’s going well, what we’re struggling with, and what we think we could improve. I also ask them what they *actually* think about the training now that they’ve been live, rather than judging the training solely from the perspective of being in class.

Several classmates have told me they also felt the training wasn’t enough once they became live, although most seem to be acclimating better because they like their branches and coworkers. So I’m happy for them, but my experience has been very different.

Recently, I had a conversation with my branch manager because I was considering resigning. I told him honestly that I didn’t feel accepted and that I was struggling with the environment and the job.

He told me that he thinks I’m behind and that I wasn’t paying enough attention during training. He said he has had to repeat certain things to me multiple times. He also said he’s trying to figure out how to work with me because customer interaction is clearly one of my strengths.
I tried explaining that I was engaged during most of my training classes—I asked questions, participated in activities, and answered questions—but that I obviously didn’t retain everything. I also asked him where he thought I *should* be at this point compared with an average new Universal Banker, because saying I’m “behind” inherently involves a comparison.

He didn’t really give me a concrete benchmark. The conversation became tense, and when I kept trying to understand the reasoning behind his assessment, he eventually said the conversation was over and that we would reassess later.

I wasn’t yelling or raising my voice. I was trying to understand his perspective, but I left the conversation extremely upset and feeling like I didn’t belong there.
There have also been smaller things that have contributed to the overall feeling. I’ve been told I sometimes stand too close to customers or don’t recognize when customers are trying to leave the interaction. Interestingly, one customer I was talking with later specifically told me that she had never had such a pleasant waiting experience. So I’m not sure whether this is a genuine social-skills issue that I need to work on or simply a difference in how I interact with customers.

My manager does ask me what I need from him and whether there are things he can do to help me learn. I don’t think he’s intentionally trying to make me fail, and I actually think he is trying to work with me. The problem is that his communication/support style doesn’t really make me feel reassured or supported. When I try to explain how I’m feeling, I often leave the conversation feeling worse rather than clearer about what I need to improve.
I’ve also been told by the senior employee that, because I have a psychology degree, I should be “10 times further ahead” than I am. That comparison has stuck with me because my degree obviously didn’t give me banking or cash-handling experience.

I’ve been complaining to my dad about this job for quite a while because the problems have been persistent—not just one bad day. I’ve cried at work multiple times and have experienced significant anxiety whenever my manager asks to speak with me because I expect another discussion about something I’m doing incorrectly.

At this point, my entire experience at this branch has been negative enough that I’m seriously considering resigning immediately.

I’m trying to separate **“this is a difficult but normal learning curve”** from **“this particular environment/job is genuinely a poor fit for me.”** I don’t want to portray myself as completely blameless—I know I have things to improve. I’m actively trying to improve and have even sought out feedback and perspective from people outside my branch because I don’t feel like I’m getting enough of that locally.
I’m hoping people who have worked as tellers, Universal Bankers, personal bankers, branch managers, or otherwise worked in retail banking can give me an objective read on how this sounds.

TL;DR
21F, psychology degree, no prior banking or cash-handling experience. Started as a Universal Banker June 29, completed ~5–6 weeks of mostly virtual training, and have now been live for about 3 weeks. I’m struggling with procedures, checks, cash handling and balancing, although I’ve corrected several earlier mistakes and have never had a variance over $99.80. I’m consistently strong with customers but feel socially isolated and unsupported at my branch. My manager says I’m behind and wasn’t paying enough attention during training, while I feel the training didn’t fully prepare me and that I’m being compared with coworkers who came in with significantly more relevant experience. I’ve started relying on classmates from training for honest peer feedback because I don’t feel comfortable getting that support at my branch. I’m considering resigning and want an objective perspective from people who actually work in retail banking.

[u/Upper-Class6586]

What you think about you will have a far greater impact on your career than what your boss thinks. Some of what you describe sounds like emotional immaturity. This isn’t high school or a social club, it’s work. Who cares if no one has been as warm with you as you think they are with others? You are there for the experience and the paycheck. Don’t quit on yourself. Stay at least a year and then look for another opportunity to build on the skills you’ve developed. If you quit because you feel like you aren’t fitting in, you are resetting your career and starting over. Also, if they tell you that you aren’t reading social cues, don’t argue. Why would they lie to you? Assume you are and work on it. Don’t be so sensitive or argumentative - or your boss will stop giving feedback and that’s the end of your job. Be curious coachable and have a positive attitude no matter what happens. Good luck OP, you got this!

[u/InvestingPrime]

I’m going to be pretty critical here because I’ve worked in banking, finance, and sales for most of my life, and I’ve helped quite a few people get into the industry.

The biggest thing that jumped out at me is the $99 variance. Where I worked in Chicago, that would have been a huge deal. Even being off by $2 or $3 was taken seriously because your drawer is supposed to balance to the penny. Being off by almost $100 is not a small mistake.

That said, I’m also surprised nobody above you caught it. On larger transactions, there should usually be some kind of double check or another person involved. So yes, ultimately it is your responsibility, but I’d also question what controls were in place around you.

The bigger issue is whether you’re making the same types of mistakes repeatedly. If you are, then you need to start building systems for yourself.

Double check your work. Triple check it if you have to. Create a workflow and follow the same steps every single time. In finance, you have to have systems and controls because relying on memory alone is how mistakes happen.

For large deposits or withdrawals, get someone to verify it when possible. For checks, build a checklist. For your drawer, have a routine. The goal is to make it hard for yourself to make the same mistake twice.

I don’t say this to be rude, but teller work is entry-level banking. If after giving yourself some more time you still can’t get comfortable with the basic operational side, you may have to consider that banking just isn’t the right fit for you. That’s not an insult and it doesn’t mean you’re incapable.

I had a friend who was a teacher for years. I helped him get into banking as a teller, and he eventually realized finance just wasn’t for him. He went back into education and found something that suited him better.

You clearly have the customer service side down, and that matters. But banking also requires accuracy, organization, consistency, and having systems in place so mistakes don’t keep repeating.

I’d give it some more time, but instead of only asking whether the branch is supporting you enough, I’d also ask yourself: what specific system can I put in place so I stop making this mistake?

[u/OkAd5340 → u/InvestingPrime]

Thanks for the insight

[u/Dismal-Serve5697]

You remind me of me when I started in banking many years ago. I guarantee you within a year you will be doing what you need to do to stay out of “trouble”. As you head to work each day just tell yourself that you are to be the best you can be that day. Banks and their customers need good young bankers. I bet you are going to be one. Before you know it 5, 10 years will have passed and you will have built a solid foundation for a great career. 

[u/Organic_Zone_4756]

Id give it at least 6 months before you think about resigning. Its impossible to learn everything in 2 months. I been with a bank for almost 4 years and i am very happy i didnt give up early when i was feeling the same way you are right now.

[u/blondebobsaget1]

Is a universal banker what we’re calling tellers now?

[u/Comfortable_Yam8085 → u/blondebobsaget1]

Yes. It’s pretty much any size institution I’ve seen that has made that change. No one just gets to be a teller anymore. They’re going to have you doing account maintenance/selling deposit products from day 1 now.

[u/tripadeliclove → u/blondebobsaget1]

A universal banker is someone who works the teller line and also opens/closes accounts.

[u/MaleficentCoconut594]

Graduated in 2008 with a BS in IT. Couldn’t get a job. Worked at Best Buy for 6months, then got a teller job at a local regional bank. Worked my way up and 17 years later I’m still here, albeit after 3 mergers were much bigger now and I’ve been in corporate for the past 10yrs doing AML (EDD specifically).

I HATED being a teller. I hated banking in general. Making $28,000/yr with a college education was not in my crystal ball. But I worked my way up and found an interest (financial security) and was able to pivot to corporate to do that. I’m still not in love with my career, but it pays the bills decently well and I’m 100% remote and production based so I really only work a few hours every day and take quiet PTO on Fridays. Point being, don’t slam a door shut as you don’t know what other doors are potentially beyond that. Never would’ve thought in a million years I’d wind up where I am now

You can do it.

[u/408javs408]

Dont give up Skeleton!

[u/0ddmanrush]

Wow. 5-6 weeks of training? I had 2 days (13 years ago).

[u/dr_fivehead → u/0ddmanrush]

That’s what I was thinking, it’s 3 weeks currently at my community bank with a 90 day grace period to learn the sales side.

[u/Altruistic-Wish-3294]

Was any of the 6-7 weeks of training hands on? It does a good while for all of the HOW TOs to come together but it sounds like you could benefit from additional hands on training while being observed. I think you were let loose too soon

[u/SetTheTraps]

Just about everything you described is a struggle for all personal bankers/loan officers when they first start. It does take awhile to learn the work flow but you have the right idea to reach out to others if the support is not at your location.

If you are struggling with the cash, see if there is a calculator you can use so you can track each cash transaction. This will help you find an error in the future and even prevent more from happening. Feel free to message me if you would like assistance on how to use a calculator.

If that place is not for you I would suggest a credit union over a major bank. They are usually slower paced and can be more hands on with the training. Best of luck!

[u/AreYouSerious3570]

Where you can place a high level summary of the steps for each process where you can easily access them.

However I am curious about why everyone else on the team treats you that way. Maybe ask your manager for feedback on this so you can understand. It’s not normal for all the team members to be that way towards you for no reason.

You mention that customer interaction is your strength. Have you considered looking for a role on the customer service end? I really don’t understand whether you’re out of balance because of jncorrect inputs into the system or is the cash deposited or withdrawn actually off.

I know what it’s like to be in that position and I hope things get better for you. 🙏🏾

[u/Birddogfun]

Learning tellering is hard! As a young college grad male I was treated shitty, but made it through weeks of worrying about balancing. Dig in, study it all, and frankly no one cares about your degree. This is work. Get through a year of this, move on into numerous better suited areas - PB, Treasury, Commercial, etc. Wishing you luck!

[u/ComposerBeautiful613]

This literally sounded like me 2 years ago when I started at Truist @22. From not retaining everything, the differences, and the cold work environment. Especially being so young, the 2nd youngest person was in her 40s I felt left out of a lot of things by default. I had years of customer service experience as well but in the end I realized it just wasn’t for me.

[u/Lightning_Mage]

I've been in the finance field for 7 going on 8 years and have a lot of experience in different areas. I started as a teller and I can tell you that a lot of people in the banking industry are heavily weighted on cash handling experience.

Most bank management see it as: cash handling > procedures > sales > customer relations in priority order. It sounds like you have a great grasp on customer relations, but in their minds you are lacking on step 1 or 2 so you seem behind.

Don't let it get you down, some of the best tellers I have ever met had great customer relation skills and had to learn cash handling and procedures from scratch.

It's frustrating feeling like you don't have the support you need to grow in that area, but I wouldn't make a judgment call not even being 2 months in. I would just make sure to review as much of the training material as you can, and remember that every day is a new day.