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Nikola Blake

Nikola Blake

Capital One

Career Roadmap

Nikola's work combines: Business, Education, and Helping People

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Day In The Life

Branch Manager

Manage the day to day activities within my branch, coaching, inspiring, and motivating my partners.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

    Glenmuir High

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Business Administration and Management, General

    The College of Westchester

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Financial Managers:

High School

Bachelor's Degree: Business Administration and Management, General

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Started in the health care field in college, but found out in nursing school that I didn't like it.

  • 2.

    I knew that I loved helping people and a classmate of mine told me to apply to the bank and I did.

  • 3.

    I started as a part-time teller and quickly realized that I hit the jackpot because this was my calling.

  • 4.

    Within 3 months I became full-time Teller, then a Lead Teller 7 months after.

  • 5.

    I continued with my success and became a Relationship Banker within a year and a half. A year and a half after that I became an Associate Branch Manager.

  • 6.

    Within a year and a half I became a Branch Manager and have been with the same company for 7 1/2 years.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Family:

    You wont be anything in life." "You will be a statistic and be a high school drop out.

  • How I responded:

    I realized that I didn't want to be a statistic by having a child at an early age, being abused by my partner or being a high school drop out. I wanted to be better for me. That meant staying in school even when I had nothing to eat or had to walk miles. I channel all my anger into working harder, studying harder and being the best I could be.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • My family wasn't able to help me financially, so I started working at the age of 14 to pay for school for my sisters and I.

  • I came to the United States 12 years ago after high school and if you work hard the possibilities are endless.

  • Told myself that if I work hard I will overcome my challenges. I use the phrase, "No matter what I am going through, there is always someone going through something worse than I am!"