Commercial Lending
After deciding to pursue a career in business, he pursued further business education without targeting a specific business. Eventually a business found him!
WM was born in Reading, PA. His father was a manager of a life insurance company’s area office, which caused his family – father, mother, older sister and WM – to move to suburban Philadelphia.
WM’s father died when WM was 13 years old. His mother, who had been a secretary before a full-time homemaker, was then employed as a secretary to the Superintendent of the local, public school system.
When WM graduated from high school, all males aged 18 were subject to mandatory military service. Those attending college could defer the start of their active military duty until college graduation. So WM could either wait to be drafted into military service upon his college graduation or enroll in an officer training program while in college and upon graduation, enter military service as an officer, which WM opted to do.
FIRST CAREER GOAL ZIG-ZAG
WM’s first career goal upon enrolling in college was broadly within the field of medicine. However, future physicians first had to prove themselves proficient at all their biology and science courses, notably the most difficult of all: organic chemistry, regarded by would-be physicians as a “trip-wire” – do well or choose another career option.
CAREER CHOICE STARTED WITH ELIMINATION OF SOME OPTIONS
While trying to master organic chemistry, it became apparent to WM that his future would better be headed in another direction. At the time, WM assessed his career interests and concluded he would somehow get involved in the world of business by majoring in “economics”, with no specific business career yet determined. Looking back fifty years later, WM recalls his psychology professor was “unusual” (to say the least; for example, the professor always wiped the doorknob as he entered the classroom; thus this wacko and the entire field of psychology was not an inspired path forward). WM had no interest then in english (writing / literature) or history courses. Ironically since his retirement years, WM has become a voracious reader of history and taken advantage of the opportunity to attend many university level history and political science courses open on a limited seating basis to local senior citizens.
PURSUIT OF ADVANCED BUT GENERAL BUSINESS EDUCATION
Still undecided at college graduation regarding a specific business to embark upon, WM accepted advice from a family friend with business experience, to continue his education and gather a Master’s degree in economics to not only learn more but also enhance his resume.
Fortunately, the Army agreed to again postpone WM’s active duty commencement to allow him to earn his advanced economics degree. Upon graduation, the Army randomly assigned WM to duty in a non-combat role, which gave him additional time to ponder the next step in his career journey: business, yes, but what kind of business?
SPECIFIC BUSINESS CHOOSES A WELL PREPARED CANDIDATE
Looking back, WM now wonders: Does a person choose a career or does the career choose the person? The answer need not be the same for everyone. With his Masters degree in hand, WM was able to line up several employment interviews among businesses which would provide a training program since WM realized that he had no personal business experience and needed to learn the basics of whatever company’s requirements and business strategies before launching himself into their world, which would require practical guidance.
A large bank, based in Pennsylvania, with operations across many eastern states, offered an entry level training program which matched WM’s interests. WM’s advanced degree in economics, his having attained the rank of Captain in the Army and his personal interview responses apparently matched the bank’s need to add individuals who would likely succeed somewhere within the bank’s many operational departments.
WM successfully completed the bank’s 18 month training program, which involved a broad range of bank related activities, ranging from basic paperwork to studying customer credit files and accompanying senior banking personnel to meet with new and prospective bank customers involved in the lending process.
FROM MENTEE TO MENTOR (ADVICE RECIPIENT TO ADVICE PROVIDER)
Following the training program, WM “moved up the corporate ladder” within his assigned, commercial lending department. He worked alongside and listened to mentors and eventually became a mentor to others within his department. The bank wisely restricted the geographic boundaries and types of commercial customers to work with and solicit, thus avoiding competition among the bank’s lending officers while concurrently providing increasing experience with certain types of customers.
