Written by: Jamie Libon
As a student aspiring a fulfilling career where you can really make an impact, you might make
the mistake of overlooking careers in the retail (or more specifically, the retail banking) industry. We went behind the scenes at ATB in their downtown Edmonton office, to gain a deeper understanding on what a career at ATB can really offer, and bring a new perspective to the matter.
“ATB encourages activities and opportunities. It is a great place to get involved, share your ideas, and sign up for extra things.” – Lana Cuthbertson
Lana Cuthbertson is the Director of Customer Experience Strategy at ATB. Lana graduated
from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts as an English major, Music minor, and
then went on to complete a Masters in Journalism at Carleton University. As a student, Lana
was always very involved with diverse opportunities from choir to leadership. Today, Lana is still passionate about advocating for women in leadership and is a co-founder of Parity YEG. Lana considers her work with Parity YEG as part of her career, because a lot of what she has learned from her professional experiences she has been able to transfer over. Like most students, Lana was not completely sure of what to look for in a career after university and it took her awhile to figure out what elements make for a fulfilling career. Naturally, Lana was interested in looking for career opportunities that aligned with her previous experience and interest in journalism and communications. However, she now realizes that what is ultimately important in a place of work is finding somewhere that fits with your values and accordingly, the culture and freedom of that work place.
Freedom at Work?
The freedom of being able to work from home at ATB, is both conditioned by and conditioning of the culture that drives ATB. This freedom is conditioned by ATB’s values-based hiring process, and the fundamental belief that they can trust their employees to bring their best selves to their work. This conditions an atmosphere where people have the option to work from home but still enjoy the days in the office because of the positive work environment (not to mention the great view and the foosball table).
So, What Exactly is This Culture?
“Open, flexible, honest, transparent, fun, ambitious, innovative, customer centric, community minded.” – Lana Cuthbertson
ATB is recognized as both one of Alberta’s Top Employers (2019), as well as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2019). The ATB 101 program, that supports the professional development of students and offers a wide variety of positions across various disciplines is one of the major reasons why the company is regarded as such a great place for young people. As an ATB 101 student, you can look forward to a dynamic experience of self-discovery while you tackle real business problems and develop new skills and competencies under leaders who will both guide and inspire you. Additionally, ATB has recently expanded their ATB 101 Program beyond just summer positions and now recruits for year-round positions. If you are a student interested in applying, you can find more details at atb.com/careers.
And, This is Considered Retail?
A primary focus of ATB involves retailing banking, and they currently service approximately 700,000 customers. However, ATB is becoming increasingly focused on their digital retail experiences. The innovative spirit behind ATB is driving how they respond to changes in the environment, adapt to meet their customers’ needs, and emerge as a leader in the retail space.
This is why ATB is more than a bank, and more than retail.