Jonathan

Trainee

Future Employer

“During my bachelor’s degree in Economics in Maastricht, I went to a recruitment event with presentations by multiple employers, including DNB. I was so taken by DNB’s presentation and case study that I kept an eye on the organisation as a potential future employer ever since. When I finished my master’s degree in International Economics, I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do, partly because of my broad interests. What I did know was that I was very interested in the work done by DNB, particularly due to its impact on society. The DNB traineeship was a perfect match for my interests, needs and wishes.

Bank-wide investigations

My first rotation took me to the Risk Management and Strategy department, where I’ve been working for almost seven months now. It’s a department that explores various ways to improve DNB, and in the context of sustainable prosperity, one of the issues I’m working on now is our own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plans in areas such as sustainable business, the energy transition and sustainable investments. When I asked why I had been put in this department, they told me that my background meant I was versatile, making me a good fit for bank-wide investigations. I love the idea that your rotations are tailored to your personal skills and traits.

Trainees are in a very fortunate position: everyone is always eager to help.

Learning on the job

What I like about the traineeship is that it’s an adventure you embark on as a group. Trainees often do fun activities together, but we also give each other advice. I’m a big fan of the 8-month rotations, because they give you a peek at three completely different sides of what DNB does. The bank is also closely involved in your progress and encourages you to make the most of those eight months, regardless of where the rotation takes you. I’ve noticed that trainees are in a very fortunate position to begin with: everyone around us is eager to help and share their knowledge. One of the tricky parts is that this is a very hands-on learning environment. At university, I always learned that you have to prepare in order to contribute, but I often don’t have a chance to prepare here. I just tag along and learn more and more every day. I already know much more now, just seven months in, and it is becoming easier to tackle new projects.

International Issues

I am really enjoying my time at DNB and cannot wait to find out what is in store for me. There is no shortage of interesting departments at DNB and there is a lot I still want to explore. Because of my international background, I would very much enjoy being seconded abroad in the future. I have a master’s degree in International Economics, of course, but I also have a dual nationality and I’ve lived in seven different countries on four continents. That’s part of the reason that I’ve always been internationally oriented: I don’t just keep up to speed with local developments in the Netherlands, but track international trends as well. I’d be very interested in focusing on DNB’s role in an international context in the future.”