Research shows that professional development is a major driver of employee satisfaction. Learning, growing and trying new things can lead to higher employee engagement and commitment to an organization. In this article, former electrician Tyler McIntosh shares in his own words how RBC has supported him with his career transition.
My transition from electrician to financial advisor may not seem like an obvious career path. But it’s one that made sense to me – and to my managers and mentors at RBC.
Growing up in Kingston, Ontario, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated from high school. To earn a living while I figured it out, I took up the same trade as some family members and became a third-generation electrician.
It was a job and a way to pay the bills, but it wasn’t until I started serving on the executive board of the local electricians’ union that I found my true calling.
My responsibilities as a pension trustee, and then as a health and welfare trustee, helped me develop financial acumen while also reaffirming my passion for helping others.
With that, I made the bold decision to leave my trade of 13 years and start over. The fact I didn’t have a university degree and would begin again at an entry level didn’t faze me.
I’ve never been scared of taking on a new challenge, so I joined RBC as a banking advisor in August 2021. I know what it’s like to be an apprentice and I looked at it as another ‘apprenticeship.’