Associate Spotlight – Keri Lynn Igo
If your job had a theme song, what would it be and why? So many come to mind! Some days, it should be ‘No’ by Meghan Trainor, so I don’t overcommit! I tend to want to help everyone. Whenever a login screen gives me the ‘Remember Me’ checkbox, I hear Gordon Lightfoot singing, “Remember me, I’m the one…” ‘It’s My Life’ by Bon Jovi is a good one, because I try to keep a positive outlook, form my own conclusions about best solutions, and stay committed to working a project through to the end.
What’s the most unexpected skill you use in your daily work that might surprise people? Thinking holistically about system admin work. Whether I’m working on a large software buildout or a small change to a parameter, I think about the big picture before I start doing anything. Are there other people or processes that might be impacted? Is there a more efficient way to get the outcome the requestor is looking for? How will the new process feel for the users? Are there any other improvements we should make simultaneously that could double or triple the impact of the change? As you can see, the human aspect of a change is often more important than the system aspect.
If you could have a superpower related to your job, what would it be, and how would you use it? Every day, I would snap my fingers, and a healthy, fresh lunch would magically appear on my desk. No more grocery shopping, cooking, or washing containers!
What’s the one piece of career advice you wish you’d known when you first started your career? The first time I found myself in a job where I got tons of emails and phone calls, I didn’t know how to manage them successfully. Over time, I’ve learned it’s crucial to have a quick way to record every single to-do item (I use Tasks within Outlook because it’s so fast). I also learned the hard way how important it is to follow up on every call, email, or message within one business day, even if it’s just to let them know I received their request and what the next step is.
Is there anything people don’t understand about your job but you wish they did? Not just my job, but every job in the bank—my wish is for all of us to understand how closely interconnected we are. I think of us as a web, where each associate’s work is a strand. Every strand is vital to the strength of the web. Wherever you are in the organization, others are relying on you to ensure every account, file, or process you work with is accurate, up-to-date, and makes sense. By taking ownership of the integrity of our data and the quality of our work, we can all support each other AND deliver the best customer experience.
