What will be your next step?

Life consists of a lot of phases. First elementary school, then high school and after that most of us become a student. Now the real question appears: what are you going to do after your master’s degree? Last February, we attended a presentation at an inhouseday of ING where they presented their traineeship. Afterwards we got the chance talk to an ING trainee; Nga Truong, Retail Banking trainee. She enthusiastically shared her experiences!

Nga studied Business Administration at the Radboud University and did her master at the VU. During her study she was involved in various committees and after her master she became a member of the Aureus Board of 2012-2013. At 27 she felt ready to start working and applied for a traineeship at ING. Nga is in her third and last year of the Retail Banking trainee program at ING.

What does the ING traineeship look like?

Traineeship programs differ a lot between companies. The ING traineeship (International Talent Programme, ITP) has a duration of four years.

In the first year you are working on two projects, the so called rotations of six months.

ING also gives you the opportunity to do a rotation abroad. Nga went to London for three months to do a project at Corporate Communications. The experience abroad was one of the reasons for Nga to apply for the ING traineeship. Other reasons to choose for ING were the open culture, training facilities, interesting projects and the responsibilities you get right from the start.

After the first year you enrol in your first ‘real job’, matching both your preferences and capabilities.

Benefits of a traineeship

Nga told us about the advantages of a traineeship at ING. There is a great emphasis on growth and personal development. A traineeship is the chance to flourish your talent. You get the chance to learn, to work abroad and to build a large network. You also get the opportunity to work in various departments and projects. During the traineeship there is a wide offer of training courses. The trainings are not just about the core banking business, but also focused on soft skills. Trainees really get the chance to develop all necessary competences to be able to have a great career.

Fortunately, you do not have to do it all by yourself. You will get a lot of support from the ING organisation and your fellow trainees. You are challenged and get a lot of responsibilities. At ING, you start in a class of trainees who have started in the same year and who stay with you for the rest of the programme. Besides, you become a member of an international ‘year group’ of over 100 trainees. Once a year you come together to participate in trainings for two weeks. This makes the traineeship very special, as you can expand your own professional network, make friends and learn a lot from each other by working in groups and sharing experiences.

The importance of a good orientation

“Be proactive” was the main message Nga gave us. She never thought she would be working at a bank, but now she is very comfortable in the banking sector. ING is less formal and hierarch than you might expect. She would have never known this if she did not attend the ING Inhouseday.

By visiting inhousedays or other events like ACD (Amsterdamse Carrière Dagen) you get to know what the market has to offer and what is expected from you as an ambitious candidate.

It is also very important to study the broad possibilities of traineeships. Explore what a traineeship really has to offer and whether this is what you are looking for as a first job. The culture of the company can also be very important. Therefore, visiting an inhouseday is a great way to get to know a company, its culture and employees and find out whether there is a match for you.

Selection procedure

For traineeship selections, your CV is key. Nga: “There is no perfect list of activities to put on your CV. It is about showing that you are ambitious and about showing who you are by doing things next to your study. Of course, it is important to keep in mind which skills and experience a specific traineeship requires. Just be aware of this and do things because you are intrinsically motivated”.

As mentioned before, Nga did a lot of things before she started at ING. She applied for board member of Aureus, because she realized the many personal development opportunities and also the amazing activities she would experience. The additional benefit of a greater chance to be admitted for a traineeship was not her first trigger.

In many selection procedures, an interview is an important part of the procedure. To make the most out of this, a good preparation is important. Make sure you know how to present yourself. Do not be scared to show who you are. Find your answers on questions such as: Why are you unique, what makes you special, what do you have to offer? Do not tell the perfect story, just be sincere and tell YOUR story!

We hope you have a better impression of the ING traineeship. Hopefully this will help you to take your next step in your orientation process or to make your first move!

Go to the Aureus website to find our broad offer of traineeships and inhousedays. Are you interested in a traineeship at our main sponsor ING? Click here to get more information about the different tracks of the ‘International Talent Programme’ or join the ING inhouseday on 12 May and experience it for yourself!