Careers at the OCC:
Entry-Level Bank Examiner Careers

Do you enjoy solving problems and analyzing financial data? Like to travel and meet new people? Do you communicate effectively and work well with others? If so, you may be an ideal candidate to become an entry-level bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

• The Job of an Assistant National Bank Examiner
• Do I Qualify?
• Competitive Salaries
• Benefits
• How To Apply
• Work Environment
• Career Advancement

The Job of an Assistant National Bank Examiner

From day one we get a lot of responsibility given to us. -- Sherra Brown, OCC Class of '06

Entry-level bank examiners begin their careers as Assistant National Bank Examiners in our Mid-size/Community Bank line of business. This experience provides the foundation for learning the practical aspects of bank supervision.

Assistant National Bank Examiners support the supervision of national community banks across the country. Assignments cover all areas of banking and include examining loans, interest rate risk, capital, liquidity, consumer protection programs, and compliance with banking laws and regulations.

Responsibilities include:

• Organizing and analyzing selected data;
• Completing bank supervision procedures;
• Checking compliance with laws and regulations;
• Gathering information through discussions with other employees;
• Discussing findings with other examiners and bank management;
• Drawing conclusions and recommending corrective action; and
• Conducting off-site analyses, writing memoranda and reports, and updating examination comments under close supervision.

You will work mainly in cities that are home to community banks and will likely be based in one of our 70 field office across the country.

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Do I Qualify?

To become an entry-level bank examiner, you will need:

A bachelor's degree with a major in accounting, banking, business administration, commercial or banking law, economics, finance, marketing, or closely-related field from an accredited U.S. institution (Check accreditation.),

or

Three years of work experience in accounting or auditing in a financial institution or in work related to a financial institution,

or

Equivalent combinations of education and experience, such as a CPA certificate.

Citizenship: Consistent with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and other applicable law, applicants who are U.S. citizens will be preferred over equally qualified non-citizens.

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Competitive Salaries

The OCC offers competitive salaries under a performance-based pay plan. Generally, entry-level examiners start out earning $47,000 per year, plus an additional supplement in certain geographic areas.

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Benefits

The one thing that you're going to find at the OCC that you're not going to find in the private sector are the benefits. -- Carl Bhoothalingom, OCC Class of '06

The OCC offers one of the best benefits programs in government. Our benefits are among the best in government and compare well to private companies.

One of our most popular benefits is the "Flex Day." This allows employees to work the standard eighty hours in nine workdays, providing every other Friday off. Additionally, we offer ten federal holidays and two and a half weeks vacation.

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How To Apply

The OCC conducts fall and spring recruitment campaigns. We accept resumes in September and February. Details on what to submit and where to send your details are released prior to each recruiting season.

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Work Environment

The work I get to do is exciting. It's Challenging. It changes on a day-to-day basis. -- Kayleigh Ferree, OCC Class of '05

The OCC has a diverse workforce of more than 3,000 people and a work environment that promotes creative and thoughtful contributions by people in all positions.

As an entry-level examiner, you will spend 30-to-80 percent of your early career traveling to banks across the country, depending on your work location. You may work in OCC field offices, at banks, their boardrooms, or their branches.

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Examiner Jobs in Mid-size/Community Banks

Entry-level bank examiners begin their careers in our Mid-size/Community Bank line of business. This experience provides the foundation for learning the practical aspects of bank supervision.

You will work mainly in cities that are home to community banks and will likely be based in one of our 70 field office across the country.

Community bank supervision focuses on banks that typically conduct traditional banking activities. While some community banks range from $1 billion to $8 billion in assets, most have less than $1 billion in assets.

Mid-size bank supervision generally includes national banking companies with assets between $8 billion and $25 billion. While mid-size banks are located throughout the country, oversight is centralized under a single OCC deputy comptroller located in Washington, D.C., to facilitate consistent supervision.

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Career Advancement

Once you become a commissioned examiner, the sky is your limit. -- Olatoyin Falade, OCC Class of '06

Careers at the OCC can be rewarding and offer opportunity for advancement. Assistant National Bank Examiners spend six to eight months on a training team participating in bank examinations, meeting with bank managers, and making recommendations and suggestions.

Several years of formal and informal training lead to the Uniform Commissioned Examination (UCE). Successful completion of the UCE means a commission as a National Bank Examiner and opportunities to manage an entire bank examination as an examiner-in-charge (EIC). Some examiners go into specialized areas, such as asset management, bank information technology, international banking, capital markets, compliance, credit, and retail credit.

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