Banking professional likes helping,
making a difference
PRESQUE ISLE — Candace Roy has had a long and rewarding career with the University Credit Union in Presque Isle, and says that she knew from a young age that banking was a good career for her.
Roy started working as a cashier and customer service representative for a bank while in high school. “My job through high school directed me,” she said. “I liked the math and I liked the people.”
After she graduated, she needed a full-time job and started working as a teller. After moving around geographically and changing jobs, she and her husband settled in Aroostook County 25 years ago, and she went back to work as a teller.
Over the years, Roy has been promoted and trained internally, moving from teller to head teller, then serving as an operations supervisor and promoted to assistant branch manager, and finally landing a branch manager position at UCU.
She affirmed that she is indeed passionate about her work and loves what she does. “I get to help and educate people. I love being on campus where I can help students get information about finances earlier, at a younger age.”
She suggested, “If you close your door and are smiling at the end of the day,” you are passionate about what you do. She said she likes making a difference in people’s lives and feels productive, both keys to why she loves what she does.
What would Roy tell someone who feels stuck in a job he or she dislikes? “On a day-to-day basis, find out what you do like, and build on that — within, or look outside,” she said.
She recommended pursuing classes or education that are geared toward or encourage career change, if needed. She noted that job shadowing others at work can be crucial to exploring careers that might be of interest.
She pointed out that sometimes it is not what you do, but where you work that is the issue. Not all job settings are a good fit, so a change of scenery might be what someone needs.
