By Colleen Watson

The old nursery rhyme, "Rub-a-Dub Dub" speaks of a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker as the three men in the tub. We all knew who they were and what they did by their titles. Bankers have had the same type of title that instantly described their career.

Banking used to be a career path that prepared you only to be a banker. Typically there was only one bank in town and you had a savings account and a mortgage there. There were very few services available. And there was no competition, just as with the local butcher, baker, and candlestick maker. Today banking has become an extremely competitive industry, with new products and services being added as the market demands more from its banking partners. The public expects excellent customer service skills from their bankers. A banker also must understand a variety of products, and achieve absolute accuracy. All in all today's banker must be charming, knowledgeable, persuasive and detail oriented. This mix of knowledge and skill makes a banker highly sought after by a variety of other types of employers.

Banking has developed an excellent reputation as a training ground for good employees. Having banking experience on your résumé opens doors for a variety of careers.

There are three main skill groups that come out of banking careers: customer service, business development and business analysis. They fit as follows:

1. Customer service

   Heidi Gesell, president of Cherokee Banks, reports that some of her ex-tellers went on to varied careers after working at her bank. Tellers frequently transition to customer service or operations careers, since the same people- and detail-oriented skills are needed in both careers. Tellers can transition to more of a back room position too. It all depends on their strengths and interests.

2. Business Development

   Tim Meyer, executive vice president at TCF says the world of banking has changed and so have the skills needed to be successful. In the old days, bankers were very passive. Lack of competition made businesses slow to change. Today banking is extremely competitive, and employees need aggressive sales skills. Many employers want persuasive people who can create profits for their businesses.

3. Business analysis

   Target hires business analysts for its corporate headquarters in downtown Minneapolis. The company loves to see financial institutions on résumés. Banking is an exact, numbers based business, which helps develop analytical skills. Banks employ credit analysts, which can be a good entry-level position for someone coming out of college with an accounting or finance degree. Applications may be different, but structure can be similar.

So, if you are interested in a career in customer service, business development or business analysis, banking is a great place to start your career. A start in banking can lead to a great career in finance or many other career choices, including a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker. Or maybe even a politician, but that would require some acting skills too.