NORWICH – NBT Bank executives and college advisors shared their personal experiences with summer interns at the Canasawacta Country Club last Wednesday, offering advice to those about to begin their professional careers.

NBT Bancorp held its annual Student Intern Career Day on July 21 with the 46 student interns who work for the company attending. The students range from those entering their freshman year of college to those beginning work on postgraduate degrees. NBT has had a company-wide student intern program since 2005 which focuses on offering local opportunities to gain experience in the financial services industry.

“A critical part of our success model is creating an environment so the 1,640 employees we have can reach their potential. Our employees’ potential is our potential,” said NBT CEO Marty Dietrich.

Dietrich said good employees are so important because it’s up to them to create good customer service, the bank’s most competitive edge.

“The number one reason people choose a bank is service. Rates are like number seven on the list,” he said. “Getting that customer by offering a better rate is not a sustainable strategy because at some point, another bank will offer a lower rate.”