teller

relationship banker

portfolio manager

credit analyst

center manager

California Bank & Trust

A typical day involved reviewing loan servicing requests, analyzing financial documents to verify continued credit worthiness, writing up Administration Actions for viable servicing requests to be approved by upper management.  Explaining SBA program guidelines, bank processes and loan terms to customers.  Working with customers, original underwriters, loan processors, operations group and special asset credit management to research and resolve loan issues.  Reviewing reports for pending actions and risk tracking system to prioritize daily work.  Multiple special projects as handed down from management.  Plus monthly Banking compliance and underwriting process trainings.  

Unfortunately, management didn't offer career development coaching  or assistance.  Many often cursed and argued in non-private situations.  When you contacted HR to bring up issues or request follow-up on internal job applications, it was obvious that the HR department was not there for the employees, but rather to look out for the Bank's and management interests only. 

The hardest part of the job was responding to customers whose requests were denied and working with struggling customers whose business had been non-profitable for an extended time during the recession.

The most enjoyable part of the job was working with individual borrowers who were in desperate need of assistance and whom I was able to fulfill or exceed their expectations.  I also enjoyed the financial analysis and reporting, as well as auditing loans to make sure the system was set up correctly.  Finding and fixing errors in the systems to improve loan management accuracy.

What is the best part of working at the company?
It was a great experience at the branch level. The employees at the branches are all very nice and helpful.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Uppermanagment and human resources have an unhealthy way of conducting business. Gettting assistance from back offices is difficult because the employees do not understand branch level opperatiins. Finding resources for answers is very time-consuming because policies and procedures are not organized centrally.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
CB&T has a negative work environment and a non-nurtering culture. Information, plans, and strategies from uppermanagemnet and  HR are never transparent and are usually manipulative. Uppermangement and HR can not be trusted. 


What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As an employee who works in a branch of the bank, you can expect typical banking transactions and scenarios. However, the day will be very busy and stressful because most branches are short staffed. There are policies in place that make it difficult to have a normal workflow because there is a great disconnect between manganese and employees. Uppermangement does not listen to the concerns of the front line staff at the branches and doesn't understand the day to day procedures, so they are unable to provide the branches with what they actually need. Lastly, as a Frontline branch employee, you may get frustrated with the amount of time it takes to get answers from back offices because they are not helpful and procedures are not centrally kept.

Working at California Bank & Trust was an eye-opening chapter in my career. While the experience had its challenges, it also taught me valuable lessons.

I joined the bank with high hopes, but the work environment left much to be desired. It was disheartening to see unprofessional behavior among some of the managers and colleagues , right down to their attire. Unfortunately, favoritism seemed to prevail, and promotions often felt based on personal connections rather than merit.

I faced a lack of structured training, relying on self-learning to understand the job. It was frustrating to witness discrepancies in training between colleagues, where some received in-depth guidance while others, like me, had to learn independently. Despite these challenges, I embraced the opportunity to take on responsibilities and essentially run the bank.

It's important for future applicants to be aware of the dynamics at California Bank & Trust , where networking and personal connections can play a significant role in career progression. My intention in sharing this review is to provide a balanced perspective, shedding light on both the downsides and the growth potential.

I sincerely hope that California Bank & Trust can improve its work culture and provide equal opportunities for all employees. My experience here has taught me to value professionalism and fairness in the workplace. I wish all prospective employees the best of luck in their career journeys.

I was given automony to prioritize my own day, manage the non-exempt incentive plans, and reinforce sales and service techniques in meetings to retain and grow CB&Ts customer base.
What I learned was that all associates can be great sales associates if they have the right mentor or coach. Attitude is everything, willingness to learn should be a priority, and in return recognition for their contributions is a must!
My co-workers were very supportive and knowledgeable, in their own field of expertise, which garnered teamwork, respect, and common goal attitude towards the "big picture".
The hardest part of the job was the economy and the fall-out of some loans - commercial underwriting seemed to allow only a small window of opportunity for business owners. APYs were too low to invest. Market values of homes were not high enough for consumers to take advantage APRs, equity, or refinancing.
The most enjoyable part of the job was how responsive associates were towards any sort acknowledgement or imparted knowledge to help them obtain sales and service goals!

I chose to apply and work at this bank due to their mission statement, but they are far from what they say they are. I have worked at many different banks prior to this one. And right out the gate I am expected to bring over a book of business. now normally this isnt a problem but the system is so extremely outdated that i refuse to put my clients through this. This bank is like a wolf in sheep's clothing. they pretend to be nice and then sink their fangs into the clients and employees. They try and drain the most out of each client with things they dont need. You are treated horrible for not wanting to mislead a client on products or services. Upper management is very very disconnected from the actual team that they do not see what actually happens in the branch and assume everyone is lazy. I was given a very day and night description of my position while in the hiring process compared to the actual expectations now that I am in this role.  

A typical day at work would be assisting customers and non-customers with cash transactions, deposits, withdrawals and payments to loans or credit cards.

I have learned California Bank & Trust's policy and procedures on handling transactions, which is usually different at other financial institutions.

Management is really positive and appreciative for all of our hard work throughout every day.

The hardest part of my job is when management would like to place a hold on a deposit for my customer. I feel that is very difficult to tell my customer that he or she cannot use their funds for up to 7 business days because we have to place a hold on the funds until the check clears.

What I love about my job the most is interaction with all of my customers that come into the bank on a regular basis. I enjoy working with people and getting to know them and about their business. With this being said I love helping my customers by suggesting products and services that could really help their business or personal finances.

Meeting targets is encouraged but it is not as cutt-throat as other places.  The systems are slow and dated and the processes in place are still driven by paper and slow.  Many employees, both at the branch level and especially in back-office, take very initiative.  Everyone is very scared to take any sort of ownership and instead takes every possible precaution for fear of retribution.  It is without question a culture of people worried.  Why? For the simple reason that everything runs at a snails pace and there is little incentive to grow and therefore they pay you a pittance and don't really care, or rather, don't really enforce if your production is up to par or not.

after my robbery they did not want to hire a security guard, put up bandit barriers, or somehow increase some type of security. This job is fine to work when your going to school. Or else, move on. 

I was entitled to see a psychologist after the robbery to at least have someone to talk to. managers were calling me, bugging me to ask if i was returning to work. LEAVE ME ALONE!! I WAS JUST ROBBED!! 

I decided to hire an attorney...best decision i ever made, because i wasnt aware of my rights as a worker. they just dont care about you here. no bank does. all they want is loans (which is stupid cuz they dont approve anyone), and checking accounts. 

Benefits were expensive. medical especially, and im a single worker. get a civil service job...its better.

As a Branch Operations Specialist you support your market area in many areas. You can be assigned to work in a branch for a day or a month. You need to be fully trained in all ares (loans, operations,and sales) to ensure you can help in any situation. I learned how to be extremely flexible, and work with many different types of people. The hardest part of the job was traveling up to 2 hours to get to the branch that needed help. Training is excellent, and was a fun place to work. Management is knowledgeable, and professional.

work flow is very busy at this Bank I like coming to work everyday. I learned so much here from all my co-workers they taught me a whole lot. management is very good and helpful open door policy all the time with what ever questions you have for them. co-workers are fun to work with funny and very helpful. I don't think there is a hard thing here everyone Is very helpful if anyone has a question every helps out. I have been with this Bank for 7 years + and this group of people are so helpful and fun to work with this is the most fun I have worked at a Bank.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teller 43 salaries reported	$21.24 per hour
Relationship banker 65 salaries reported	$25.93 per hour
Portfolio manager 26 salaries reported	$139,827 per year
Credit analyst 6 salaries reported	$37.12 per hour
Center manager 24 salaries reported	$136,926 per year

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