Electronic banking specialist Sharon Ott marked 20 years with the bank earlier this fall. Before assuming her current title, Sharon also worked as a teller and a deposit services representative. “Learn everything that you can to do your job to the best of your ability,” she advises anyone who hopes for a long career in banking. She talked with Shorelines about how technology has changed the industry and her passion for detail.
What has kept you at North Shore Bank for two decades?
North Shore Bank is a respected, growing organization that offers a great working environment — mostly because of my co-workers. I know that’s kind of a cliché, but if you don’t have people who can step in and help when you need it, the job won’t get done. We have some people who are pretty exceptional — probably HR would say they do their “SOARing.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
I particularly enjoy balancing the ATMs, as it is a daily challenging task. There are so many areas where that one little penny can be off, and you really need to know where to look for it. It’s a detail-oriented task. Plus, how many ATMs do we have? We balance all of them.
Are you a “details” person?
Yes. If you look at my hobbies, everything I do is very detail-oriented. I do miniatures for dollhouses and jewelry-making. So I guess that’s what interests me!
Did you ever expect to be here this long?
Well, I did start out in banking, at a little independent bank on 60th and Capitol — Milwaukee Western. I worked my way up to auditing, but never in my dreams would I have thought I’d be balancing ATMs someday. Technology has changed so much. When I started, if somebody came in to do something on their passbook, we had to check their balance on paper. At Milwaukee Western, the mainframe computer took up a whole room downstairs. I never dreamed of having something you could hold in your hand, like a phone, and bank with.
What have you learned after 20 years?
Even with all the technological changes, banking is still all about providing personal service to our customers. I don’t work directly with customers, but I do work with the branches and call center, and they reflect what I say. I make sure I can answer a question to the best of my knowledge. This will help insure that our customers get the information they need.