Trainee Rises to 2IC Manager at Commonwealth Bank After Graduating
Recent AFL SportsReady graduate, Kale Talbot astounded his host employers at Commonwealth Bank (CBA) in Camden, NSW, with his work ethic and kindness. From having no prior work experience in the bank, Kale thrived in the industry and now, just two months after completing his traineeship and at the age of 20, he has been made Second in Charge (2IC) at the branch.
His supervisor, Cathy Cramley, Manager at CBA Camden is extremely proud.
“I knew he was talented within weeks so after his traineeship it was clear this young man deserved to be in a leadership position. I made some moves within the branch to bring Kale into a Second in Charge role after graduating,” she said.
“In my 25 years of being manager, I can truly say I have never seen a greater success story as Kale.”
Ms Cramley has had four trainees work with her in her time as manager and firmly believes the traineeship program is a remarkable opportunity for both trainee and host employer.
“I am a big advocate of school based and full-time traineeships. We are fortunate to have an excellent track record with our trainees, they have shown dedication and passion in their role and have impressed us each time. We really embrace the traineeship program and strongly believe that by taking on a trainee you are giving back to the community which is something extremely important to us,” she said.
“The real benefits of taking on a trainee is that extra pair of hands – which supports the overall flow of the business, the fact you are providing a young person with an opportunity to launch into a career and the fresh perspective a young person brings to the team. Each trainee has a willingness to learn even if they have never been in the industry before so they come on board with passion and energy.”
Before taking on the traineeship, Kale was a builder and had no idea what to expect working in the banking and finance industry. However, he was adamant he wanted to give it a go and Ms Cramley said he impressed the CBA team instantly in his interview.
“Kale is an extremely likable young man with excellent communication skills. Despite not having experience he showed that he was eager to learn and the area manager who interviewed him rang me straight away and said, this kid is absolutely fantastic and he definitely is!”
As soon as he joined the team, he was an instant hit and progressed from strength to strength. Kale believes his success comes from the fact he loves what he does.
“At my last job it just became a boring routine, I would go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed then roll into the next day. I didn’t realise I could actually enjoy what I do since coming here. I am a lot happier now than I have ever been because I love what I do,” said Kale.
In his role as a trainee, Kale would assist with tasks such as counting the money to preparing technology for the day like setting up the Ipads. He also dealt with serving customers and although he found some clients challenging he always served with care.
“I loved every job I was given in my traineeship with the bank and I gained so many new skills with every task such as communication skills, time management skills and customer service skills. Sometimes I encountered challenges especially with customer service but I always did my best to provide the client with quality service.”
Ms Cramley agrees that Kale thrived with the customers.
“Kale serves customers with such intent because he truly cares. There is not one customer who comes in and doesn’t greet him by his name and he always knows theirs. The community sincerely respect him and this is a factor to the success of this branch, we are flourishing.”
With Kale’s success it was a no brainer for Ms Cramley to give him more responsibilities once he completed.
“I think from my perspective, I was looking for an assistant manager to have the same vision as me and so myself and Kale are very aligned. Kale does a great job in diffusing me in tough situations because he offers me a different perspective and one I usually have not considered. He has a growth mindset, a grounded mindset, the team love him and the community respect him and I can’t wait to see his further progression in the industry.
What Kale has done for this branch is unbelievable. At such a young age he is a huge inspiration to me and everyone on the team. I wouldn’t know what to do without him.”
We look forward to hearing about the next phase of Kale’s incredible journey.
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DATE: 16th December 2021
AUTHOR: Marissa Pagliarello
IMAGE: Cathy and Kale
