From the time she first started working for the Royal Bank of Canada in 1988, Connie has gained valuable experience in all facets of the banking operations. She has worked at various branches in Hanmer, Val Caron, Sudbury and Chelmsford. Her passion for working with clients has lead Connie to her current role as a Residential Mortgage Specialist, a position she has held since 2004.

   “I really enjoy working with individual clients to help them make one of the most important purchases of their life a little less stressful,” Connie explained when asked why she chose this particular field of banking at this time in her career. “I totally understand where people are coming from when they are going through the process of buying a house. It can be a very frightening time in their life. I try to help them feel relaxed by removing some of the “fear of the unknown”, especially for first-time buyers.”

   Staying on top of all of the new product lines in the residential mortgage market is one of Connie’s main responsibilities. “Things are changing all of the time with residential mortgages. I make sure that I am fully aware of all of the different options available to my clients, and then we work out the best choice for their particular situation. By educating my clients, and making them feel at ease with the process, many of them are comfortable about coming back to see me when they make their next purchase, or even referring me to their family and friends. This is the greatest compliment they can give me. It means that I have done my job well and I have developed a healthy, long-lasting relationship with them. I love it when my clients treat me as a friend. After all, if they live in the Valley we are likely to be neighbours.”

   Connie points out that buying a house is relatively simple when you break down the steps.

1.         A client will come to Connie for a pre-qualification meeting to determine the amount of mortgage for which they might be able to qualify. This will depend on their income and current debt ratio. It then gives the client an idea of the price range he/she/they can afford and gives them some focus and direction to their house hunting.

2.         The client then searches the market for a house that will be satisfactory to their needs. This is usually done through one or more real estate agents.

3.         Once they find a house and settle upon a purchase price, they return to Connie for the final mortgage approval. When it comes to the pre-qualification of the amount of the mortgage, the amount is determined by the income and financial status of the client. When it comes to the final mortgage approval, the amount is determined by the value and state of the property. After the mortgage amount is approved, the payment details and terms of the mortgage are agreed upon.

4.         The client is then free to take care of all of the necessary legal details of the purchase, including the closing date.

5.         All that is left is to move into the house and enjoy their new home

   Connie is not afraid to show her feelings about her new career as a Residential Mortgage Specialist,. “I just love working flexible hours and being mobile. It means that I can meet my clients at a time and place when it is convenient to their schedule in a more relaxed atmosphere. There is already enough stress in the purchase of a house. Anything I can do to make it easier helps me to serve my clients in the best way possible.”  

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS

Connie is always willing to talk to young people who may be interested in pursuing a career in banking.

"This is a wonderful career to get into if you like working with people. Whether you are serving clients at the teller's window, or you are providing them with a mortgage to buy their dream home or property, you get a tremendous satisfaction from knowing that you have gained their confidence in one of the most important matters of a person's life - their finances."

Connie advises that there if you are interested in a career in banking, there are certain skills and aptitudes that you should be prepared to develop and incorporate into your life immediately.

1. "You must be a "people-person". Always look for ways of reaching out and talking to people. Listen to what they have to say and show that you care about their feelings and concerns.  Demonstrate this concern through your words and your body language and make sure that you are sincere. People can always tell if you are not genuine in your compassion.

2. You must like working with numbers and you must not have any anxiety when it comes to mathematics. Even though the computers do all of the calculations for you, it is still important to interpret the data and help clients make sense out of the financial statements you are working with.

3. Develop your communication skills. Look for opportunities to explain things to people and become very skilled at making presentations. You may not have to speak often in front of large audiences, but it is still important for you to be skilled at presenting information in a clear and precise manner to clients so that they understand their options and the products you are offering. 

4. Become very passionate about learning new things. No matter what you are being taught in school, train yourself to put 100% effort into learning everything you can about new concepts and topics. If you get into banking you must demonstrate a high level of confidence in your presentations and that only comes from knowing your products inside and out. In this business products are constantly changing so you are learning all of the time in order to stay on top of what is new in the industry.

5. You must be very organized and be able to manage your time efficiently. At certain points in the year things get very hectic in this office. Everyone wants you to take care of their particular needs and for each of your clients your service is of utmost importance in their life. Unless you are extremely organized and you are good at time management, it can become very difficult to maintain your composure and provide the kind of service that your clients expect. If your school notebooks are always unorganized and you never seem to have enough time to get everything done, you will have a hard time being successful in this business. Get organized now and make this an ongoing priority in your life.

6. You must be very flexible and comfortable with last-minute changes to your schedule. One of the nice things about being a Residential Mortgage Specialist is that I am in charge of my own destiny. I make my own appointments so that I can plan around personal and family responsibilities. Nevertheless, there are many times when my plans must change in order to meet the urgent needs of my clients. This is not a 9 to 5 job. You must be prepared to meet your clients when they are available. If you are the type of person who is at ease with a very fast pace of life that is constantly changing, then this is a job that you might enjoy and do well at.

7. You must be very concerned about your public image. When you are taking care of a person's finances there is an expectation that you will uphold a 'higher standard of conduct'. Whether you are watching a hockey game with your children, out at a community summer fair or attending a New Year's Eve party, you must always remember that you are a professional and must behave accordingly. You can't be the "town clown" on weekends and expect people to take you seriously on Monday morning. So as you are going through your schooling and training, start to incorporate this "professional approach" to living and be aware of what your words and actions are doing to your public image. 

8. Above all, you must be able to work independently, without constant supervision, and still be able to meet reasonable goals and targets that are set by your employer. As I said above, you must like being in charge of your own destiny, but that also means that you must be willing to take the good with the bad. If things do not go well and you are not meeting your targets, then you must be ready to accept the responsibility for your results. You have no one to blame but yourself so you really have to be a strong person and be able to pick yourself up and get back on track when necessary."

"This is wonderful career," Connie concluded. "I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing. It gives you an incredible feeling when you are able to help people live their dreams. If you are considering a career, and if you are willing to work at all of the points I have listed above, then I wish you the best of luck in the pursuit of your goal. Once you get there, you will certainly appreciate your efforts.'