The role
As a credit officer, you assess loan applications from individuals, traders or small businesses and recommend whether to lend. You visit clients, analyse their activity and repayment capacity, prepare credit files for the committee and follow repayments. When payments are late, you work with clients to recover them.
Who is hiring
Commercial banks, microfinance institutions, savings cooperatives, fintech lenders and asset finance companies hire credit officers. The role is mostly on-site in branches, with regular field visits to clients' shops, farms and workshops.
Background and career path
Credit officers usually hold a degree in banking, finance, economics or business, and learn credit analysis through in-house training. They grow into senior credit analyst, branch manager or head of credit.