Brandon Prough talked to students during PRIDE Time on Nov. 8 about his career in banking.  

“I didn’t start off thinking I would be a loan officer,” Prough said. “I started college, and I honestly can’t even remember what my first major was; I think it was biology.”  

Prough ended up switching to an Agriculture Business degree because it had elements of both business and science.  

While in school, Farmer’s Home Administration (now USDA) offered Prough a paid internship with a guaranteed job offer after he completed his internship. Prough stayed with USDA for almost 20 years and then an opportunity opened at Bank of Hays.  

“I’ve been there [Bank of Hays] for about eight years and took over the loan department a couple years ago, so I supervise all the loan staff and oversee their loans and make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to,” Prough said. “I also have my own portfolio of loans that I make and service pretty regularly.” 

Prough recommends that students interested in banking should take accounting classes, as well as business and marketing classes, in high school.  

“It’s funny because you get kids that get out of high school and go into business, and they’ve always thought they wanted to go into business, but they’ve never taken a business class at all in high school,” Prough said. “Well, how do you know if you even want to go into business if you’ve never taken business class?” 

Soft skills are also important in the banking career.  

“Learning how to prepare for presentation, how to dress, how to act, how to be a leader, how to hold a conversation and listen to people, those are things you use every day in my job and in most jobs,” Prough said.  

21afeyerherm@usd489.com