The perfect balance between academic and practical
‘At secondary school, I was already fascinated by international relations and geopolitics. I thought it would be exciting to do something with political science or international cooperation. The world of intelligence has always intrigued me too – if someone says “don’t tell anyone”, you’ve got my attention. During my Crisis and Security Management degree at Leiden University, my curiosity only grew.
After graduating, I decided to broaden my horizons with a traineeship. By chance, I came across the traineeship at De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) online. Security, social impact and unpredictability – the perfect combination. Over two years, you work in three different departments. At university, I didn’t feel challenged enough. Here, I do, and I love that. I enjoy working with people who know more than I do because that’s how I learn. At this stage in my career, that’s really important to me.
My first role at DNB was in one of the teams that carry out on-site supervision of banks and payment institutions. Now, I’m part of the crisis management cluster within the Cyber Resilience & Crisis Management team (Payments, Cash & Market Infrastructure division). We coordinate responses to (potential) operational crises in payment and capital markets. For example, we step in during major card payment outages. When you see the graphs spike for financial institutions on allestoringen.nl, that’s when we’re on high alert.
I love that I can contribute to a stable financial system in this way. It’s just as vital as electricity or clean drinking water.
Working together for secure payments and capital markets
What I find remarkable is the way we collaborate with our stakeholders in this team. When a disruption occurs, we act immediately. All the major players behind payment and capital market systems take part and voluntarily report issues, so we can respond quickly and keep the impact minimal. That level of cooperation is truly unique, and it shows the trust they place in DNB. Of course, it’s in everyone’s interest: each of us holds a piece of the puzzle, and only by putting those pieces together can we find the solution as fast as possible. But openness and honesty are essential to keep payment and capital markets stable.
When there’s no crisis, we focus on preparation and maintaining our network. That’s also crucial to doing our job well.
Meaningful work for society
All three clusters within our team focus on resilience, but each in its own way. And they strengthen one another. The Threat Intelligence cluster gathers and interprets strategic cyber intelligence. The Test Cyber Team runs cyber resilience tests and works more on prevention. My team deals with limiting the impact, whatever the cause. Without our crisis management structure, responding to disruptions in payment and capital markets would be far harder to coordinate. I love that I can contribute to a stable financial system in this way. It’s just as vital as electricity or clean drinking water. Without those basic services, society grinds to a halt.
Learning by doing
What appeals to me at DNB is the mix of operational and substantive work. No two days are the same, and most of the time our day doesn’t go as planned. When there’s a disruption, you have to act immediately – and that can even be in the middle of the night. As a trainee, I don’t have on-call duties, but I still feel the tension when I see something going wrong. That makes the work exciting and a great learning experience. I’m proud that at 24 I’ve already found something that suits me so well.
It doesn’t matter that I didn’t study economics. Different backgrounds in the workplace are a real strength. I notice that my fresh perspective genuinely adds value. I want to encourage others with an atypical background to apply too. Many of my fellow students work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cyber consultancy firms or the police. I’ve found my place here.
Everyone counts
What I really appreciate at DNB is that there are lots of young people here. You need to know your stuff, of course, but you don’t have to earn your stripes before you’re taken seriously. From day one, people asked for my opinion. Naturally, I realise I shouldn’t say ten silly things in a row, but it’s great to feel you matter right from the start.
Work-life balance
Finally, the work-life balance at DNB is excellent. The building has a gym that everyone can use, and you can enjoy lunch outside or pop into the city during your break. I live in Rotterdam and work in the office three days a week. Thanks to the 4×9-hour schedule, I have plenty of time for sport and relaxation. Even though I really love my job, I also enjoy heading into town with colleagues for a drink in the evening. Life is about more than just work.’
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