Chris Welfing

Digital & Innovation

Cheeky move as ultimate career kick-start

‘When I graduated in the summer of 2020, I immediately went in search of a “real” job. This turned out to be a bit more difficult than anticipated, however: the pandemic meant that there were few vacancies. Many companies weren’t hiring, what with the times being so uncertain. After two months of unsuccessfully sending out e-mails, I took a bolder approach and applied for a position that actually required three years’ experience: UX Designer at ABN AMRO. A bit of a cheeky move perhaps, but a smart one as it turned out; I was invited and hired!’

The bank as first employer

‘I’m now 25 and have been working at ABN AMRO for more than three years. I started as a junior Designer for the ABN AMRO app and quickly progressed to my current role as a medior Digital Product Designer, still for the app. Before I applied, I had some doubts whether I wanted to work at a bank. After all, a financial institution quickly conjures up a rigid, boring and old-fashioned image. I wondered whether I’d be able to make the most of a creative role. Well, I absolutely could: there’s a team of 70 people who work exclusively on UX design. ABN AMRO takes this specialism extremely seriously – all forms of digital banking must occur smoothly. As a result, there’s plenty of room for a fresh look and new insights.’

Developing soft skills

‘It’s very challenging to work in such a large organisation. You have contact with a great many different people and departments within the bank, and you also have to take the customer into account. Everyone has wishes and opinions, all of which you take into account in the design process. As a result, I strongly developed my soft skills, much more than if I had started working at a start-up with five people. It’s why this job is such a great kick-start to my career.’

From following to leading

‘I was really thrown in at the deep end at the start. Of course, I’d just left school, so I allowed myself to be led somewhat by immediate colleagues and other departments. I’m much more assertive and confident now: I take control of things more, so it’s not “your wish is our command” all the time anymore. I’m also much better at having meetings with dozens of stakeholders now than a few years ago, as I’m more secure about my own abilities. I've learned that, while it may be very comfortable to stay in your team's bubble, you only really get ahead if you look further and consider the whole organisation.’

‘My team is also encouraged to come up with proposals. Which is great, because I’m bursting with ideas and I get every opportunity to elaborate them. I notice that the company structure also helps with this. Even though it’s an enormous company with a clear structure, we’re quite a flat organisation in practice. My manager gives me a lot of freedom and confidence, which in turn gives me a strong sense of responsibility. That’s exactly what I need: I don’t want someone looking over my shoulder all day long.’

Design in practice

‘One of the best things I like about my job is seeing my own work come to life. Because I work for ABN AMRO, I’m constantly involved in what we’ve designed and how it works. Which is a far cry from when you work for all kinds of different parties and have no idea what happens when your part of the job is done. User feedback comes in as soon as a new feature in the app goes live. It’s only then you really know how your design works in practice, and you continue to make adjustments until it works smoothly. That form of ownership is very important to me.’

Making a social impact

‘The fact that approximately three million customers use our app, means that what my team and I do has a real social impact. Our users are not a single specific target group with an unambiguous opinion, but a very diverse group with different preferences. This comes with having to be aware and responsible – after all, you want to create something that’s best for the largest group. For example, where you place a certain button can make a huge difference. One user searches for information themselves, while another user prefers to be guided through the process. You have to strike the right balance in this, which is what makes this position so very challenging; day in, day out!’

Are you curious about where Chris works? Visit our Design page.