Two weeks ago, I had the rather boring task of a trip to the bank to get a new online banking security device, as modelled in the photograph below. This conveniently broke down just I was about to pay our monthly rent, so I thought it best to get a new one before we went on holiday.
This, in itself, is unremarkable and clearly unworthy of a blog post, but there were a couple of aspects of the experience which were memorable.
First, we come back to bureaucracy. Although I was assigned to a member of staff quickly, getting a new online security device appears to involve signed photocopies of my passport, visa, a plethora of paperwork and a bonus phone phase to activate the thing. This took well over an hour, although the bank assistant was friendly, offered me a cup of tea, wholly unaware that I might have to get to work at some point.
The funny bit was my conversation with the assistant. Whilst waiting for the device to be activated, he started asking me all sorts of questions - "where do you work", "what do you do", "what's an actuary"...until it became very clear that he was after a new job. He had no idea what an actuary is, but went into a full sales pitch about having six years' experience at the bank and so being the perfect candidate for any positions that we might have available! We ran through his whole educational and employment history and he wouldn't let me go until I'd given him links to various actuarial websites, assuring him that he should learn a bit more about the profession before jacking in his current role.
There is no way I could imagine this happening in a bank in the UK; whilst it may seem unprofessional, I do enjoy the optimism and enthusiasm with which people in India will try to create opportunities for themselves. When jobs are hard to get, they need fighting for and people in India are more than willing to promote themselves to do that.
All credit to the assistant at my bank. If he does become an actuary in the future, then I'm pleased to have been there at the beginning.
As an aside, I had to set up a new set of bank accounts at work today (for various audit related conflict reasons) which involved signing the most bizarre form I've come across yet (against stiff competition). This form required my signature to confirm that "the signature included elsewhere in my application may vary from the signature in the form and in my personal identify proof" - so basically that if I've done a wonky signature on the form then it isn't fake. I am sad to say that many trees will have died in vain for the sake of this form, a sad loss indeed.
This, in itself, is unremarkable and clearly unworthy of a blog post, but there were a couple of aspects of the experience which were memorable.
First, we come back to bureaucracy. Although I was assigned to a member of staff quickly, getting a new online security device appears to involve signed photocopies of my passport, visa, a plethora of paperwork and a bonus phone phase to activate the thing. This took well over an hour, although the bank assistant was friendly, offered me a cup of tea, wholly unaware that I might have to get to work at some point.
The funny bit was my conversation with the assistant. Whilst waiting for the device to be activated, he started asking me all sorts of questions - "where do you work", "what do you do", "what's an actuary"...until it became very clear that he was after a new job. He had no idea what an actuary is, but went into a full sales pitch about having six years' experience at the bank and so being the perfect candidate for any positions that we might have available! We ran through his whole educational and employment history and he wouldn't let me go until I'd given him links to various actuarial websites, assuring him that he should learn a bit more about the profession before jacking in his current role.
There is no way I could imagine this happening in a bank in the UK; whilst it may seem unprofessional, I do enjoy the optimism and enthusiasm with which people in India will try to create opportunities for themselves. When jobs are hard to get, they need fighting for and people in India are more than willing to promote themselves to do that.
All credit to the assistant at my bank. If he does become an actuary in the future, then I'm pleased to have been there at the beginning.
As an aside, I had to set up a new set of bank accounts at work today (for various audit related conflict reasons) which involved signing the most bizarre form I've come across yet (against stiff competition). This form required my signature to confirm that "the signature included elsewhere in my application may vary from the signature in the form and in my personal identify proof" - so basically that if I've done a wonky signature on the form then it isn't fake. I am sad to say that many trees will have died in vain for the sake of this form, a sad loss indeed.
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