2023 Intern Resources
VBA Internship Program
You will find all 2023 VBA Internship Program materials and resources on this page for use throughout the summer. Please contact Monica McDearmon at 804-363-9347 with questions.
Intern Orientation – 5/31/2023
- Intern Orientation Agenda
- VBA E&T Leadership Training Continuum
- The VBA slides will be available here!
- VBA Leadership Continuum
VBA President & CEO Bruce Whitehurst’s contact information:
bruce@vabankers.org
Twitter: @BruceTW
Office: 804-819-4701 | Mobile: 804-241-3223
VBA Certificate of Completion Requirements Overview
Interns participating in the VBA Internship Program will be eligible to receive the Certificate of Completion if they meet the following requirements. Mentors will send all necessary documentation to the VBA no later than August 31st.
2023 Certificate of Completion Checklist
- Complete an American Bankers Association (ABA) online training course OR equivalent online banking industry training. See below for more information on the ABA course options.
- Complete a capstone project and presentation.
- Participate in at least one of the in-person events (Intern Orientation or Mid-Summer Meet Up) and at least three of the virtual VBA events.
- Complete four of the eight VTOP Career Readiness Modules.
- Involvement in a community support or volunteer opportunity (banks will determine specifics of this based on opportunities throughout the summer).
- Complete the VBA Internship Program self-evaluation.
ABA Online Course Information
Interns are required to complete an American Bankers Association (ABA) online course OR equivalent online banking industry training (must be approved by the VBA) to earn the VBA Certificate of Completion.
ABA Login information
For interns completing an ABA online course, the VBA will send login information to the interns after their start date with the bank.
Your login credentials are below. Upon logging in the first time, you will see a message stating that your password has expired and you will be required to select a new password of your choosing. If you ever forget your password, you can use the “Forgot Password” link on the login page. Notice that your username is your bank email address followed by “.vaba”. See below for an example:
Login Page: https://aba.csod.com
Sample Username: msmith@usabank.com.vba
Temporary Password: Password1234567
Once You have logged in and changed your password, you will be taken to your welcome page. To view your transcript and access your assigned training, select “Learning” from the menu and click “View Your Transcript.” Your transcript contains your assigned training. Click on the action button (open curriculum, launch, etc.) to the right of the course title to access the training.
Access a tour of the ABA online training platform here!
Capstone Project & Presentation
Throughout the summer, interns will complete a capstone project and presentation on a banking industry topic. This project will be due by a date agreed upon by the bank and intern, no later than August 4, 2023. Interns can either research one of the topic options listed below or a topic selected by the bank. Mentors will complete the capstone project and presentation rubrics at the conclusion of the project.
capstone project topic resources
Option 1: Fintech: Disruptor or Partner?
- Podcast: The Fintech Policy Lightning Round
- Podcast: What’s next for bank-fintech collaborations
- Podcast: A cooperative model for fintech innovation
- Article: Banks Get Smart on Fintech
- Artificial Intelligence At-a-Glance
- ABA Fintech Playbook
- Article: A Focus on Fintech During Changing Times
- Article: How Digital Experience Platforms are Transforming Financial Institutions
- Article: What’s AI-Right and AI-Wrong?
- Retail and Operations & Technology Tracks of Pathways to Connect & Protect (see “Additional Learning Opportunities” dropdown below)
- Article: Venmo doesn’t break the top 5 most downloaded P2P payment apps worldwide
- Article: Four Tips for Successful Bank-Fintech Partnerships
- Guide: Conducting Due Diligence on Financial Technology Companies – A Guide for Community Banks
- Article: Examining the Rise of the Fintech ‘Super App’
- Article: Changing Market Conditions will Revolutionize the Fintech Industry
- Article: Fintechs Offer Many Opportunities for Banks. But How Do You Decide?
- Article: The First Considerations in a Bank-Fintech Partnership
- Survey: Bank CEOs prioritize strategic tech for agility, data to fight fraud
Option 2: Ideal Location for a New Bank Branch
- Survey: Pandemic Drove Increase in Mobile Banking, Decline in Branch Traffic
- Article: Powering the Hybrid Bank Workplace
Option 3: Banks and Social Media: How to Use These Platforms to Engage, Retain and Attract Customers
- Marketing Track of Pathways to Connect & Protect (see “Additional Learning Opportunities” dropdown below)
- Survey: 2020 Social Media Benchmarking Survey for Financial
- Article: The Value of Competitor Social Media Analysis
- Article: The Power of Customer Segmentation Insights
- Article: Understanding (and Using) ChatGPT in Banking
- Article: Brand Slam Award – First United Campaign Inspires 300,000 Acts of Kindness
- Podcast: Bank Names that are Assets, Not Liabilities
- Article: Three Ways to use Social Media to Recruit and Retain Talent
Option 4: Attracting the Next Generation as Customers and Employees
- Infographic: Career opportunities at America’s banks
- Article: How Gen Z is changing financial services
- Podcast: Building a Career as a Community Banker
- Article: A millennial board makeover
- Article: Brands could lose fickle Gen Zers over poor digital experiences
- Survey: Younger Customers More Likely to Switch Banks for Better Digital Features
- Article: A Data-Driven Approach to Identifying — and Retaining — Top Employees
- Training & HR Tracks of Pathways to Connect & Protect (see “Additional Learning Opportunities” dropdown below)
- Article: Banking for Z Next Generation
- Article: Widening the Talent Pipeline
- Article: What’s the Difference Between Sponsorship & Mentorship?
- Article: Employers Looking for Fresh Grads – Here are Some Things Gen Z Hopes You’ll Offer
- Article: Banks’ Competitive Job Market has Eased, but Retention Remains a Challenge
Option 5: Banks: The Cornerstone of the Community
- Podcast: Giving Thanks for Banks’ Community Commitment
- Podcast: Celebrating Bankers’ Community Commitment
- Website: Virginia Banks’ Economic Impact
- State Economic Impact Map
- On this site, part of the American Bankers Association’s America’s Banks website, you’ll learn how Virginia’s banks are supporting our state’s economy with consumer, business and other loans, how bankers are safely serving their customers and communities, and how banks are providing more than 45,000 people with a rewarding place to work.
- Video: VBA Emerging Bank Leaders Community Engagement Panel
- Article: We Were Economic First Responders
- Article: Pandemic is Bringing Out the Best in Bankers
- Podcast Series: We Were Economic First Responders | ABA Banking Journal
Hear banker stories behind the Paycheck Protection Program in a three-part podcast series - Report: Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2021 (Federal Reserve)
- Website: Secure American Opportunity
Option 6: The Bank of the Future
- FDIC Podcast: Banking on Innovation
- FDIC Podcast: Reimagining America’s Banking System
- Podcast: Community Banks in the Digital Age
- Article: Improving Digital Journeys So Customers Stay Connected to Your Bank
- 2021 Banking Priorities Executive Report - CSI
- Article: Ensuring the Security of the Digital Banking Experience
- Retail and Operations & Technology Tracks of Pathways to Connect & Protect (see “Additional Learning Opportunities” dropdown below)
- Podcast: A customer advocate inside the bank
- Article: Beyond the Bots: Supporting Your Front-line Teams with Interactive Communications
- Article: Clear Skies with Cloud
- Article: Digital Transformation in Banking is About Experience
- Podcast: Crafting a Sweet Customer Experience
- Article Future Risk and Compliance Professionals May be Just Down the Hall
- Podcast: The Just-Do-It Mindset in Community Bank Innovation
- Article: Quantum Computing and the Future of Bank Tech
Option 7: Serving the Underbanked and Unbanked
- Learn More About Bank On
- FDIC Podcast: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Podcast: A $4 Billion Bank’s Nationwide Affordable Housing Strategy
- Survey: 2017 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households – Executive Summary
- Article: CFSI: Designing High-Quality, Small-Dollar Credit: Insights from CFSI’s Test & Learn Working Group
- PCBB Article: Helping The Underbanked And Unbanked
- PCBB Article: Serving The Underbanked And Unbanked
- Article: A Hand Up with a Down Payment
- Fed Report: Economic Well-Being of US Households in 2020
- Delivering Financial Products and Services to the Unbanked and Underbanked in the United States - Challenges & Opportunities
- Report: 2021 ABA Bank Access Report
- Podcast: How Three Different Banks Championed ‘Bank On’ Certification
- ABA Statement/Report: Banks' Committed to Reducing Number of Unbanked Americans
- Infographic: Expand Banking Access In Your Community with Bank On
- ABA Resources: Learn More About Bank On
- Article: DEI Delivers for Banks
- List: Rural and Underserved Counties List (2022)
- FDIC #GetBanked
Option 8: Cryptocurrency/Digital Currency: Disruptor or Partner?
- ABA Report: Understanding Cryptocurrency
- ABA: Understanding Blockchain
- Article: The Digital Dollar Draws Nearer
- Article: Cryptocurrency Investment Scams 12x Over Previous Year
- Press Release: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell Outlines the Federal Reserve’s Response to Technological Advances Driving Rapid Change in the Global Payments Landscape
- 2021 VBA Virtual Annual Meeting Recording – Tom Barkin, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Remarks on Digital Currency (around minute 47)
- Podcast: How a CBDC Would ‘Fundamentally Rewire Our Economy’
- March 2022 Executive Order on Cryptocurrency
- Article: JPMorgan Chase is First Bank to Enter the Metaverse with a Virtual ‘Onyx Lounge’
- Report: Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation
- Podcast: Counting Down to the FedNow Launch
Option 9: New Financial Literacy Opportunities & Engagement Ideas
- Explore the VBA Education Foundation’s financial education programs here.
- Explore the American Bankers Association Foundation’s financial education programs here.
- FDIC Resources
- Article: Filling the Financial Knowledge Gap
- Article: Bank Customers Say Youth Need Financial Education
- Article: The Power of Employee Financial Literacy
- Report: Elder Financial Exploitation on the Rise
- Learn more about VBA Endorsed Provider Banzai!
- Learn more about the one-credit Economics & Personal Finance Course from the VA Department of Education
- 2023 ABA/FBI Elder Financial Exploitation Guide
Mid-Summer Meet Up
Interns must attend at least one of the in-person meetings as part of their certificate requirements. The in-person Intern Orientation was held on May 31.
July 11th from 10a.m. – 3p.m. at the Virginia Housing Center, 4224 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA
This one-day meeting will feature engagement with members of the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders Steering Committee.
- Mid-Summer Meet Up Agenda
- Bruce Whitehurst’s contact information – bruce@vabankers.org
- Frank Bell’s contact information – fbell@chesbank.com
- Presentations Skills Slides – Jamie Covey, United Bank jamie.covey@bankwithunited.com
- Resume, Interviews & Onboarding Slides – Colleen Lee & Lili Mori, C&F Bank celee@cffc.com; lmori@cffc.com
Virtual Meetings
The VBA will hold Zoom meetings for all interns participating in the program throughout the summer. We hope this provides a platform for you to get to know one another, learn about the industry, and hear from banking professionals from across the Commonwealth.
These meetings will occur every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. starting June 7th. See below for Zoom meeting information – also included in the calendar invite.
Meeting schedule & Guest speaker information
Meeting Date All meetings will be held on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. |
Guest Speaker & Topic | Meeting Materials/Recording Link |
---|---|---|
6/7* 10-11:30 a.m. |
Enneagram Workshop Laura Shibut, StartUp Virginia (see below for more information) |
|
6/14 | Cryptocurrency 101: A Banker’s Perspective Cary Ayers, Atlantic Union Bank and member of the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders |
|
6/21 10-10:30 a.m. |
Bonus Session: Trends in Fintech DJ Seeterlin, Chesapeake Bank |
View the recording here. |
7/5 | It’s Your Career – Grab the Wheel and Let’s Go Places! Paul Carney, Carter Bank & Trust |
View the recording here. |
7/19 | A Conversation on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Banking Industry Panelists: Candace Davenport, First Bank, VA; Marcus Wade, Bank of Botetourt; and Denise Counce, TowneBank Moderated by Leslie Schreiner, FHLBank Atlanta |
View the recording here. |
7/26 | Capstone Project Discussions & Mini-Presentations |
This will be a time for the interns to share their top takeaways from their capstone project research with the other interns. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88029821813?pwd=Z2p1cUowcHdyOU5tbTVPczlKNjdsUT09 Meeting ID: 880 2982 1813 Passcode: 781448 |
Enneagram Workshop with Laura Shibut | June 7th, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
*This session will run from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. and is designed for both the interns and their mentors.
During this session, interns and mentors will become familiar with the Enneagram to identify with one of the nine personality types so they can be aware of their own personality and use it in the best way possible while understanding the general characteristics of others’ personality types. During the session, we will discuss:
- Take away an understanding of the Enneagram personality typing system and how it operates as a fluid and dynamic system
- Know ways to develop more effective connections with others based on their Enneagram type
- Become familiar with the general characteristics of the 9 types
- Become familiar with how each of the 9 types responds to stress and security
- Assignment for post-workshop learning experience
Enneagram Test Information
Before the session, mentors and interns may want to take a test to determine their Enneagram type. Below are test options:
- Truity. This has great information about the 9 types. This test is free. https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
- The RHETI from the Enneagram Institute. This test is one of the oldest in the market place and has been available for over 20 years. This test comes with a comprehensive report and the website is robust and full of good information too. The test is $12. www.enneagraminstitute.com
- EnneaApp. The EnneaApp has good information about the 9 types and makes for a nice, quick reference. Simply search “EnneaApp” in the App Store on your phone to download the free app.
Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership Modules & Resources
ABOUT VTOP
The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP) connects Virginia businesses that have work-based learning opportunities to Virginia students looking for them, with Virginia’s higher ed institutions serving as the main catalyst.
You can learn more about VTOP’s regional resources here.
FOR INTERNS
Interns will be required to complete four of the eight VTOP Career Readiness modules. Modules cover the following topics:
- Overview and career self-development
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Equity and inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
Accessing the modules:
- Visit this website: https://virginiacoursecatalog.atomiclms.com/#/courses/3
- Enter their email in the “Free Enrollment” box.
- Follow the prompts to register for free.
- Check your email to set up a password and complete the registration process (will come from Virginia Canvas).
- Once you have completed the registration process and logged in, you will click on the “Courses” button on the left side of the screen. This will allow you to select from the eight available modules.
VTOP CONTACT INFORMATION
Alisha Bazemore
Assistant Director for Innovative Work-Based Learning Initiatives
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)
alishabazemore@schev.edu
Intern Self-Evaluation
Interns need to complete this self-evaluation before submitting certificate of completion checklist to your mentor/supervisor. As a reminder, a copy of your responses will be shared with your host bank and VBA staff.
Additional Learning Opportunities
the fed field trip
Please RSVP for The Fed Field Trip by June 16th to Monica McDearmon.
Virginia Bankers school of bank management Shadow Day
The 2023 session of the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management (Bank School) will be held in Charlottesville the week of July 16-21. On Tuesday, July 18th, interns will have the opportunity to visit and shadow the first and second year classes.
View the Bank School Schedule Here!
Please RSVP for the Bank School Shadow Day by June 16th to Monica McDearmon.
Additional Resources: Read, Listen, Watch
Be sure to follow the vba on social media!
Resources: Read
- As a part of the VBA Internship Program, you will receive the bi-weekly VBA Executive Brief, Virginia Banking Monthly, and Virginia Banking Annual.
- Check out the VBA Newsroom and In the News sections of our website to read about bankers making an impact across the Commonwealth.
- Consider signing up to receive the Virginia Business daily eNewsletter
- Consider signing up to receive American Bankers Association daily Newsbytes
- 6 Workplace Communication Mistakes to Avoid
- 6 Ways Successful People Make a Great First Impression
- College Graduation Gift: 10 Tips to Help You Impress in Your First Job
- Business Etiquette Questions Answered
- The Right Words - The Power of Keywords Goes Far Beyond Resumes in Driving Your Career Forward
- The Email You Might Actually Read
- Article: 10 Interview Questions Job Candidates Should Ask
Resources: Listen
- 10 Banking Podcasts to Try
- Podcast: A Look at the Virginia Economy
- Podcast: The Girl Banker on Career Advancement and Life Lessons
- Podcast Series: ABA Pandemic Update
- Podcast: Breaking Banks
- Podcast: Banking Transformed
- Podcast: Marketing Money
- Podcast: James Ballentine Reflects on His Career in Banking Advocacy (ABA Banking Journal Podcast)
Resources: Watch
- Find Your Career in Banking | American Bankers Association (six minute video)
- COVID-19: America’s Banks Respond | American Bankers Association (three minute video)
- The Pursuit of Happyness: the value of a first impression