Sabah Kazmi and the Nature of Credit Unions

Sabah Kazmi
On the surface of things, a credit union and a bank seem to have a significant amount in common. Both institutions accept deposits, cash checks and provide loans. But, there are some significant differences between a credit union and a bank. People like Sabah Kazmi are happy to make those distinctions clear. Sabah Kazmi has been working in a credit union since 2008, and learning more about what she does in a credit union and what she might do in a bank can help make the distinction clear.

In her credit union, Sabah Kazmi works as a Risk Analyst. This means she's involved in helping her company avoid unnecessary risk. She must examine the markets, and use her own educational background to determine what the markets might do in the future. It's a technical role, to be sure, but Sabah Kazmi would do the role slightly differently if she worked in a bank. Credit unions are not-for-profit organizations, owned by members. Banks are for-profit institutions, often owned by investors. As a risk analyst for a credit union, Sabah Kazmi thinks about decisions that would be good for the long-term health of the organization. As a risk analyst for a bank, Sabah Kazmi would be thinking about decisions that could result in big payouts for shareholders. She might make very different decisions as a result.

In a credit union, Sabah Kazmi is directly responsible to the organization's members. In other words, the people she serves are also the people who provide her with a job. She keeps customer service in mind at all times, and she tries to keep her credit union members happy. In a bank, Sabah Kazmi would be responsible to shareholders in far-flung locations. This would put a barrier between her and her clients. It's unlikely that Sabah Kazmi would treat her clients any differently in this model, but it would add a layer of bureaucracy.

Credit unions try hard to improve the life of the people they serve. As a result, Sabah Kazmi is often looking for innovative projects her company might choose to invest in. Sometimes, these are small businesses. Sometimes, these are individuals. As a Lending Systems Administrator, she ensures that these people can get the loans they need. If she worked in a bank, she might reject these projects because they weren't profitable enough. Sabah Kazmi would have a different goal to keep in mind.

Sabah Kazmi on Educational Requirements for a Credit Union

Credit unions have been in existence for many years, but in late 2011, they got an extra boost of publicity. Members of the Occupy Wall Street movement staged a series of events in which consumers were urged to pull their money out of their corporate bank accounts and open accounts at local credit unions instead. By keeping money local, activists theorized, there would be a slimmer chance of corruption and there would be a greater sense of community. As a result of this movement, many people have begun working directly with credit unions, and some people have even begun considering credit union work to be a valid career path.

Sabah Kazmi has been working at a credit union as a Risk Analyst and Lending Systems Administrator since 2008. This is an advanced position in which Sabah Kazmi is asked to look over a vast amount of data in a short period of time and make sure that her company is making sound decisions that can help it stay afloat. The work that Sabah Kazmi does has a direct impact on the bottom line of her company.

In order to prepare for this position, Sabah Kazmi invested heavily in her education. She holds a bachelor's degree in finance and risk management from Temple University, and she is currently working toward a masters of jurisprudence degree in corporate finance and business law from Widener University. Sabah Kazmi expects to graduate from this program in 2012.

This may seem like an extensive amount of education just to hold down a job in a credit union, but the fact is that people like Sabah Kazmi need an advanced education in order to tackle their jobs. Credit unions are still banks, at some level, and banks do a lot more than simply cash checks and print out receipts. Banks make investments, loan money, take payments and save money for expenses. Sabah Kazmi and her colleagues need an advanced education in order to help their companies do these tasks.

Jobs like the one held by Sabah Kazmi are likely to stay in place for many years, especially if the movement from banks to credit unions continues to stay strong. By following in Sabah Kazmi's steps and investing in education, students can be assured of a well-paying, stable job for many years to come.