Significant Career Lesson From a Compliance Vice President at a Bank
Seeking entry-level roles in compliance and operational risk at a bank? A summer internship, even if not directly in compliance, can be a great starting point, allowing one to "see how different parts of the banks work," and later transitioning. Alternatively, entry-level risk analyst positions, focusing on areas like "bank secrecy act money laundering" or credit risk, provide valuable experience and networking opportunities to advance within the financial institution.
Entry-Level Jobs, Networking, Risk Analysis, Financial Institutions, Compliance
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Karin Lin
VP, Compliance and Operational Risk
Large Bank
UC Berkeley, 2005
UCLA - Anderson School of Business / MBA
Political Science, American Studies
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Summer internships at banks can be a good entry point, even if not directly in compliance or operational risk.
2. Entry-level risk analyst positions (e.g., focusing on BSA/AML or credit risk) offer a path into the field.
3. Internal networking within a bank is crucial for discovering and transitioning into compliance or operational risk roles after gaining initial experience.
Transcript
What entry-level positions in this field might an undergraduate college student consider?
Definitely make your way into a bank if your financial institution is looking for a summer intern. That could be a good way to start.
Even if it's not a summer intern position, working in compliance or operational risk, in particular, can be a good entry point. If you can intern at a bank, you can eventually see how different parts of the bank operate. Then, there could always be a switch into compliance.
Another path is to work as a risk analyst. This could be from a Bank Secrecy Act or money laundering perspective. Or it could be a risk analyst from a credit risk perspective.
If you're ready to crunch numbers and do loan spreading, any of these entry-level positions would get your foot in the door. Once you start talking to people, networking internally will help you figure out what else is out there.