Ever think about working at a bank? I never did. I always thought the banking industry was extraordinarily boring. Why in the world would I want to sit behind a desk all day? As Chesapeake Bank’s 2018 Deposit Operations Intern and this year’s 2019 Banking Intern, I can tell you my expectations have been absolutely crushed.
The search for jobs and work experience can be a rocky road. Luckily, I managed to scrape together two phone interviews for internship opportunities — one with an amusement park and the other with Chesapeake Bank. The first interview was with the park; however, they were not very “amused” with me. I did not receive any form of contact from them after I hung up. With Chesapeake Bank, I was treated like an important client and felt much more comfortable answering questions about myself. I felt right at home even though we were 230 miles apart.
I ended up getting the internship and worked for Chesapeake Bank last summer as the 2018 Deposit Operations intern. One year later, I’m back interning for Chesapeake Bank, and I couldn’t be happier. Having been exposed to almost every single area of Chesapeake Financial Shares, I am confident in saying that this is an absolutely amazing company with great employees. There’s a reason they’ve been in the ABA’s top 200 community banks consecutively since 2007.
This past June, I spent three weeks in the Gloucester branch as a Customer Service Associate. The amount of comradery, visible happiness and sisterhood (the branch was exclusively female) that I was able to see was, very reassuring that I had made the right decision in my internship search. During employee reviews with the branch manager, one employee came out on the verge of tears – tears of joy! All she had to say was, “This company really does care about its employees.”
I have worked with many different people from Chesapeake Bank over the summer. Even though there are differences in age and backgrounds, I still feel myself being able to connect with fellow employees. Everyone is truly part of the team.
Chesapeake has plenty of in-house education for employees and advancement opportunity. They would rather provide you with education and expertise than have an outside hire take your position. There is also a very healthy amount of benefits to take advantage of including a 401k match, vacation, and employee stock ownership.
As I wind down the last couple weeks of my internship, the only question on my mind is, “How will my next employer top this?” I’ve been blessed to be able to work for such a great company.
Want a company you can sincerely call home? What about a company with a president who knows you by name and calls you on your birthday? Want to work for a company that expects 110% and gives back 110%? Chesapeake Bank offers this and much more. If you’re considering an open position for the bank, I would not hesitate to jump on board - it might just be one of the best decisions of your life. — Zach Benton