Commercial Banking Trainee

Midland States Bank•Rockford, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Commercial Banking Trainee is a structured development role assigned to the Commercial Development Program at Midland States Bank. The Commercial Banking Trainee will participate in a 12-month, full-time development program focused on building deep credit expertise and foundational relationship banking skills. The role offers high-potential candidates the opportunity to learn the business from the inside out—starting in Credit and evolving into client-facing work alongside experienced commercial bankers. Successful graduates of the program are expected to transition into a production role within Commercial Banking.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in finance, economics or business preferred, or related field or equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Open to recent graduates, early career professionals, or individuals seeking transition into commercial banking.
Internal candidates with experience in retail banking, credit analysis, or other support roles are also encouraged to apply.
Strong communication skills – verbal and written.
Coachability, resilience, and curiosity.
Basic knowledge of financial statements or demonstrated aptitude to learn quickly.
Comfort with ambiguity and initiative to seek out learning experiences.
Relationship-first mindset and client service orientation.
Willingness to engage in business development and hear "no" with grace.
Desire and ability to grow into a full-time sales role upon graduation.

Responsibilities

Analyzing borrower financials and assessing risk
Preparing credit memos and participating in loan committee processes
Monitoring covenants and managing ongoing credit reporting
Gaining exposure to C&I and CRE lending fundamentals
Building the foundation for sound credit judgment and decision-making
Shadowing with business partners, such as Wealth Advisors, treasury sales professionals, and Banking Center Managers, loan documentation and funding specialists, etc.
Participating in joint prospect/client calls with Commercial Relationship Managers
Practicing pre-call planning and Midland’s team-based sales approach, “The V”
Completing 10+ sales calls and developing comfort with lead generation, follow-up, and rejection
Maintain compliance with all applicable regulations including, but not limited to, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
Other duties as assigned.