I worked as a bank teller for 2 years while finishing college before getting my first public accounting jobs. My job history, in order, was college cafeteria, grocery store cashier, bank teller. I have no doubt that having bank teller on my resume helped a lot more than just being a college cafeteria dishwasher! But, it wasn't as helpful as if I'd had an accounting internship.
Basically, bank work is not accounting, it's not that strongly related to accounting, but it's better than something like scrubbing floors at a fast-food restaurant. 😛 It's all relative. Most employers like to see current employment history, so generally having a job is better than having no job when job-hunting. A bank job indicates several things that are useful in an accountant, since it's a job that requires confidentiality, working with the public, some attention to detail, etc. However, you don't look at GLs, you don't work with GAAP or the IRS, or anything like that. Basically what I'm saying is that a bank job won't make you a shoo-in, but it won't hurt anything, either.
For me, my first accounting job happened to be working for a guy who had worked in a bank prior to starting in public accounting, so during my interview it gave us something in common to discuss – grabbing the air freshener as soon as certain customers walked out because the smell was overwhelming, random things like that. However, if he hadn't been a former teller, that wouldn't have helped, so I know that was a unique situation.
P. S. And people outside of the accounting world usually think it's got a lot more to do with accounting than it really does. My dad – who has worked senior positions in the business world all his life – told me over and over again how being in a bank was almost like accounting and would really help me get an accounting job and no amount of me saying “It's not really accounting…” would convince him. 😛
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