Dare to Grow: Chevano’s Journey as a Rabobank Trainee
- Chevano RaalteTrainee Business & IT
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Where do you start your career when you are interested in business, innovation and technology, but do not know exactly where you want to end up? For Chevano Raalte, the answer was: start exploring.
With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s in Digital Business & Innovation, Chevano joined Rabobank’s Business & IT Traineeship in April 2025. “I wanted to discover where my interests and strengths could take me.” Different rotations gave him exactly that opportunity.
Finding His Place in a Technical World
His first rotation took him to Engineering & Enterprise Tech. Surrounded by engineers, complex platforms and unfamiliar terminology, Chevano stepped outside his comfort zone from day one.
“I knew I wasn’t an engineer. But I discovered there are many ways to add value in a technical environment, even if you’re not the most technical person in the room.”
He mapped processes to improve Agile ways of working, organized a Gen AI Lessons Learned event and helped set up a Women in Tech collaboration. He also supported teams in turning AI ideas into pilots.
What surprised him most was the open culture. “I felt comfortable approaching colleagues and managers, asking questions and sharing ideas. That helped me learn much faster.”
Discovering What Really Fits
His next rotation in Risk & Finance Tech offered a completely different perspective. As a business manager, Chevano worked on process improvements, management support and AI initiatives, including a large Gen AI Hackathon.
Not every assignment immediately felt like the perfect fit. Chevano sees that as an important part of his development.
A traineeship isn’t only about discovering what you enjoy. Finding out what suits you less is just as valuable."
Open conversations with colleagues, managers and fellow trainees helped him understand where he could contribute most. They also changed the way he looked at feedback. “I used to take feedback personally, as if I had done something wrong. Now I see it as an opportunity to get better.”
Throughout the traineeship, he had people around him to learn from and a community of other trainees to share experiences with.
From Exploring AI to Taking the Lead
During his final rotation in Digital & Customer Interactions, the pieces started to come together. Chevano helped create an overview of AI initiatives and guided teams through an agentic AI pilot.
“I noticed that I really enjoy bringing people together and turning ideas into concrete actions.” With the trust of his rotation manager and management team, he increasingly took ownership of projects and learned to trust his own judgment.
I learned that you don’t always have to wait for someone else to give you direction. Sometimes you have to take that first step yourself."
That lesson shaped his next career move. At the end of his traineeship, Chevano started conversations about how he could continue contributing to Rabobank’s AI ambitions. They resulted in a newly created role supporting the bank’s AI transformation.
Dare to Discover Your Own Direction
For Chevano, that is what a traineeship is ultimately about. You get responsibility, room to develop and the freedom to discover what kind of work suits you. And with hybrid working, you can shape where you work in consultation with your team and manager, too.
“I didn’t know exactly where I would end up when I started. And that’s okay. Be curious, ask questions and take initiative. Use the knowledge of the people around you and stay open to feedback. You might surprise yourself.”
Thinking about applying for a traineeship? Dare to take that first step. You don’t need to have your next five career moves figured out yet.