Trainee
Discovering what suits you: Marit's traineeship experiences
“If you had told me two years ago that I would be working at a bank's Finance department, I wouldn't have believed you. During my Business Administration and International Management course, I did take several finance-related modules. But I was never die-hard about it. So I was quite surprised when my trainee agency suggested that I talk to ABN AMRO about the Finance traineeship.”
Not a finance die-hard, but still hired
“My first reaction was: why you think I can do this? But the agency reassured me. ABN AMRO had already seen my CV and knew that I did not have a background in Finance. In short, I didn't have to pretend. The job interview with ABN AMRO also showed that what you have to offer is more important than what you can do now. What matters is that you have a certain level of thinking and adaptability, and the rest comes later.”
“My traineeship is almost over! In a few weeks' time, I will officially become a real ABN employee, which in practice means that I'll just keep doing what I'm doing now, but no longer as a trainee.”
Balancing mortgages
“I'm currently in the mortgages group, where we help the business find the balance between risk, return and volume. It's actually a bit of a game: if you turn one knob, you have to readjust all the others as well. If we want to generate more volume, i.e. sell more mortgages, then interest rates need to come down. But that reduces the return. We calculate our way through these issues and factor in as many variables as possible.”
“We also adapt to changes within the mortgage sector and advise the management so that they can make well-informed decisions. It's varied and challenging work, and I still have a lot to learn.”
Overcoming the lockdown challenge on foot
“Fortunately, we don't sit around making calculations all day! I like to wrack my brains, but I also like to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in now and again. Before my traineeship started, I worked in a restaurant – serving steaks all evening. I enjoy taking action and creating a good atmosphere.”
“There's room for this side of me at ABN AMBRO as well. For example, I organise various team building activities for my team. During the coronavirus crisis, when everyone was working from home, I arranged for everyone to join our day start call on Tuesdays while taking a walk. It was just to break the lockdown mood, and it worked very well. I also organised a Christmas pub quiz.”
Space to make your own way
“Which way will I go in the future? It's difficult to say – I don't know. For now, I want to continue shaping my role within the mortgage group. That was still uncertain when I joined ABN AMRO – my manager thought I should first discover my interests and my strengths. I'm becoming increasingly aware of those things. I draw up several monthly reports, which has really become part of my job. It's a nice task and informative for me as a junior Finance specialist, because everything comes together.”
“I also think it would be interesting to immerse myself in product development. There are mortgage solutions in the pipeline that encourage sustainable renovations. That appeals to me, both in terms of content and society. But something completely different may come my way – at ABN AMRO, you could go in any direction.”
