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A Career Worth Examining

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Career Development

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) encourages all employees to develop continuously throughout their career. The agency offers a variety of career planning resources, as well as formal and informal training opportunities.

Career Planning

The OCC benefits from having a competent and motivated workforce, capable of refashioning itself to meet the demands of ongoing organizational, technological, and financial marketplace change. Mutual employee-agency career planning benefits include talent retention; enhanced engagement and productivity; knowledge transfer and retention, and career recognition.

  • Career Ladder Advancement
    Career ladder positions allow employees to advance from the entry level to the full-performance level of a position without having to compete for promotion. Check the series and grade on a vacancy announcement to determine if that position is a career ladder position.
  • Lateral Moves and Rotations
    To encourage employees to develop a breadth of knowledge and skills, the OCC offers opportunities for moves to other positions within the same pay band, as well as rotations and detail assignments that offer new experiences.
  • Leadership Development
    The OCC expects all employees to act with integrity and demonstrate leadership that is consistent with OCC's core values. OCC leaders foster strong relationships, demonstrate openness to new ideas, and apply a strategic approach to making decisions that advance the OCC’s mission. Employees at all levels are encouraged to seek and participate in leadership training and professional development activities.

Continuing Education

The OCC’s Continuing Education division offers a wide range of effective training services and solutions including classroom training (internal and external), Web-based training, self-study (online training and resources), industry conferences, professional certification programs, leadership, career development, and coaching.

Each employee is required to take training to ensure their professional development. Options include classroom training, Web-based training, on-the-job training, self-study, certificate programs, conferences, seminars, professional associations, mentoring, job rotations, shadowing, and teaching.

  • Individual Development Plan
    Employees work with their supervisors each year to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP), which serves as a roadmap for meeting the developmental needs of our employees as well as career goals and objectives.
  • Examiner Training
    • Precommissioned Examiner Training—Precommissioned examiners participate in a structured training program, supplemented with related job assignments. Precommissioned examiners work with their managers and Continuing Education to develop a training plan. A majority of the precommissioned examiner training aims to prepare examiners for the OCC’s Uniform Commissioning Exam (UCE). Once precommissioned examiners pass this exam, they are qualified to perform examinations of national banks and thrift institutions, their affiliates, and bank service corporations.

      The UCE is an internal certification program within the OCC. A commission from the Comptroller of the Currency signifies that a National Bank Examiner is qualified to perform examinations of national banks and thrift institutions, their affiliates and bank service corporations. The Comptroller determines an examiner's qualifications based on the successful completion of the UCE.
    • Commissioned Examiner Training—The OCC offers many opportunities for commissioned examiners and industry hires to enhance their skills and knowledge to carry out the mission of the agency. Examiners may participate in training courses offered by the OCC, other financial regulators, and external vendors.
  • Professional Associations and Certifications
    The OCC will pay for the application and examination fees for selected professional certification programs. Once the certification is obtained, the OCC will also pay for the professional license and renewal membership fees that are required by the accrediting organization to retain the certification or professional designation.