December 15, 2021
“Before I started working at Saco Biddeford Savings Bank, I was working in the field of financial advisory. Back then, I was young and naïve. I had just recently left one job (we’ll call this firm x) for another job (we’ll call this firm y). While working job y, I received an invoice from job x saying I owed them a lot of money. I was shocked and confused.
It turns out that I didn’t read the fine print provided to me by my prior job at firm x, which said if I left their firm and stayed in the field of business, they could come after me for the cost of training. And that training was estimated to cost $57,000. In the 2 years that I was with firm X, many people left for other firms… and to my knowledge, not one of them received a bill.
I later learned this was fairly typical language in employment contracts of this kind. But nonetheless, I was absolutely devastated. I had a young family, a new house and a relatively new job based entirely on commission. There was a lot of pressure to take care of everyone and I felt stuck. I was in a bad place and there were a few mini-breakdowns. It was a very stressful period in my life.
As luck would have it, one of my co-workers left job y and got hired at SBSI. She mentioned to me they had more available positions and that I should check it out. I called and spoke with Terri Jalbert at the bank, who told me I was a day too late inquiring for the job. But then she said 6 words that changed my life forever: ‘Have you ever thought about lending?’
I worked as a loan officer for around 11 years, and am now working as the Retail Lending manager at SBSI. Being here has changed my life for the better. The bank runs through my veins now, and I am so thankful to have been introduced to this bank and to have heard those 6 little words a little over 15 years ago.” - Jeff St. Laurent
Join us in congratulating Jeff on his 15-year employment milestone!
