Emily Mickan

Emily Mickan, our newest teller, recently moved to the Adirondacks, but she’s already come to value our community and the credit union’s role in it. Learn a little more about Emily, what she values about living here, and how knitting is a little like being a teller.

Name: Emily Mickan
Title: Teller, Tupper Lake branch
Date Started: December 2024
Hometown: Broadalbin, N.Y.

How is working in a financial institution different from other jobs?

This is the first time I’ve ever worked in a bank. I worked on price accuracy at a supermarket, but I didn’t handle a lot of money; I managed sales and signs and tags, but that wasn’t anywhere near as intense as this job. 

We get a lot of new questions every day. We hear from members about fraud, or asking questions about their IRAs or their taxes. It’s very involved, and there is so much to learn. 

When I started, I was told, “You’re really not fully trained until you’ve worked here for three years.” Now, I can see why. 

What do you like most about the job?

I really like learning everything. The fact that there are no two days the same at the credit union, you never know what problems you’re going to encounter. That keeps it interesting. And it keeps you learning new things. It’s important, too: This job affects people’s lives, and their money, and their paychecks.

It’s also nice to get to know the members. When I worked in a bigger city, I would see new faces every day. Every now and then I’d get to know a customer’s name if they came in at the same time consistently, but here I’m getting to be able to pull up members’ accounts when they walk in. If they’ve had specific problems, we can avoid them, or if they have a specific goal, we can keep them up to date on their finances. We know them, and their situations, and that helps us help them. 

What’s something about you that may surprise others?

I really like to crochet, and I’m learning how to knit. I like fiber arts. I’ve done it since high school. It’s very relaxing—it’s why I love the job, I like to learn new things. I like to do hobbies where I’m constantly learning. Every time I do it, I learn about yarn tension, and the different types of hooks and needles. People think crocheting and knitting is so easy, like it’s a grandma hobby. But there’s so much more to it. It’s like the job. People think being a teller is easy, but there’s so much more once you learn how to do it.

Are you enjoying the North Country?

I like how kind everyone seems to be. I’ve tried to be involved in a lot of community events since moving here, like fundraisers and craft fairs; a lot of people in the town support these events, and everyone takes pride in giving back and supporting their community. That’s really aligned to the credit union’s message, of putting community first.