Central MA Up + Comer: Digital Credit Union’s Victoria Blandin

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Susan Wagner, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Tori Blandin's competitive nature and love of problem solving and analysis fits perfectly with her career as a credit analyst.

GoLocalWorcester introduces Central MA Up + Comers, a weekly profile of a member of the next generation as they begin making their mark on the Central MA workforce and community. Join us every Thursday for a look at the careers and lifestyles of the local digital generation.

Victoria (Tori) Blandin, Age 25, Credit Analyst at Digital Credit Union

SW: How would you describe your generation?

VB: I can see both the positive and negative that the media uses to describe our generation. I think our parents, the baby boomer generation, wanted to give us the advantages that they didn’t have. That can either work for you or against you. I think my generation could use better problem solving skills and that is a downside of being coddled. However, we have also had to work hard to get where we are and many of my generation has had to pull themselves up by their boot straps thanks to the housing and financial crises. This is definitely not an easy time to be building a career, raising a family, or buying a home and that is where the support and resources of family help so much.

SW: What led you to your current career path?

VB: I would say it began in high school, although I did not know it at the time. My first job was working as a teller at a local savings bank. I really enjoyed the opportunity to help people achieve their financial goals. I initially was a chemistry major in college. After two years of study, I came to the conclusion that I did not have the passion or desire to become a chemist. I took a couple of business and finance classes and immediately knew I had found my niche. I am naturally a competitive person who enjoys problem solving and analysis. I started out as a consumer loan officer at Digital Credit Union and worked my way up to a credit analyst.

SW: What exactly what does a credit analyst do?

VB: A credit analyst determines an organization or business’s ability to honor their financial commitment to their creditors. I review tax documents and financial statements and prepare a report for commercial lenders and a loan committee to review and determine whether a loan will be extended. I primarily work with commercial mortgages.

SW: There is a lot of talk about high college debt for your generation. Is that something you have had to deal with?

VB: Yes, and it has been one of my biggest challenges as a young professional. I attended Gordon College, which is a private four-year college. I did receive some scholarship aid, and my parents have helped, but I still have large monthly payments that I dread paying each month. However, education is one of the best investments you can make, if you make an informed decision. I recently took on a part-time job to balance the cost of my education and of my upcoming wedding.

SW: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Victoria Blandin?

VB: A typical day is busy. My work as a commercial credit analyst is full-time during the week. My wonderful fiancé, Nick, and I have started the process of planning our wedding for next year. I also have a part-time job working as a receptionist on weekends. Any free time I have is spent playing field hockey, going out to eat, or watching television in the evening. We also attend a local church and enjoy going for walks with our dog. And that doesn’t leave time for much else!

SW: What is your favorite piece of technology?

VB: My tablet is my favorite piece of technology. I love how much I can do with it and how mobile it is. I am not great with technology so I am still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles on it.

SW: What is on your iPod?

TB: My iPod has an eclectic mix of music on it. I have everything from Billy Joel to the Arctic Monkeys, Ellie Goulding, The Who, James Taylor, and Adele.

SW: What is your favorite social networking site?

VB: I would have to say it's a tie between Pinterest and Twitter. Pinterest has helped with my wedding plans. It is full of endless ideas for wedding dresses, decorations, photographs, and other ideas. Twitter is something I have most recently started to use. I have found it often provides news and information much faster than other media outlets.

SW: Who is the biggest influence in your life?

VB: My fiancé and my mom are the biggest influences in my life. Nick is my biggest supporter. He has been so helpful and loving since I started my second job. He is always willing to listen to me when I need him to and provide advice when I am struggling. My mother has always been loving and encouraging. She has supported me when I needed it and advised me when she has disagreed with me. She has managed to balance a career as an accountant and a financial manager while raising three kids, rarely missing any of my field hockey games. I hope I am able to be a similar mother to my kids someday.

SW: What is something few people know about you?

VB: How much I love coffee and sports talk radio. Which is unfortunate for Nick, because he doesn't like either. I always have the local sports radio show on in my car and at work. I also cannot start my day without a large coffee.

SW: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Your dream job?

VB: I am not sure what my dream job is at this point. I am really enjoying being exactly where I am. I appreciate what I have after working so hard for it and find my job very rewarding. Commercial lending is a profession I plan to pursue. I would love to be a commercial lender or broker. I also have aspirations to be a field hockey coach some day. I realize that it will most likely be coaching one of my children's teams, but it’s something I would love to do! In ten years, I hope to have started a family and continued to progress in my career in commercial lending. I would eventually like to earn a master’s degree as well.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Susan Wagner has been known for driving events, initiatives, launches, and openings through her company Susan Wagner PR. In this challenging economy, she has begun a new division to offer affordable start-up packages to new and emerging small businesses and non-profit organizations that include professional writing services, websites, collateral, marketing, social media grassroots outreach and regional PR campaigns.