Want to work as a Young Professional for Rabobank in New York?
Modesta: "It's possible. A fellow Young Professional is currently in New York. Last week, all the Young Professionals toasted to her good luck before she left. I wouldn't mind that either! Expanding your horizons abroad on the learning experience of a lifetime. "
Meet our Young Professional Modesta van Aken
Keep learning and gain work experience
“After I finished grad school, I wanted to learn more, but also wanted to gain experience on the job. Rabobank’s Young Professional Risk Management Program lets me do both. The program helps you make the leap from student life to professional life. While you do have a good deal of responsibility, you also get the supervision you need. You can really make a difference here as a Young Professional. There is ample opportunity for both professional and personal development.
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Steppingstone
“Rabobank’s Young Professional Risk Management Program gave me the chance to acquire real experience in a field that truly interests me, dealing with everything having to do with credit risks to sustainability issues affecting foreign farming operations. The scope is very broad. For me, it was the ideal way to transition from being a student to being part of the workforce. In other words, it was the perfect steppingstone. “
What is the program like?
“What I like about the program is that you have both the freedom and the responsibility to design it yourself. In the Risk Management Program, we do four rotations. In the first rotation, we focus on learning about Rabobank. During the second rotation, you get to choose which team you’d like to work on within Risk Management. That’s where the immersive experience begins. On the third rotation, you can travel abroad; Rabobank has many offices throughout the world. Or you can choose to complete the third rotation outside of the risk domain. The fourth rotation is all about working in the team you’d like to join after completing the program. It might be where you end up working.”
“During my first rotation, I focused on creating a tool that could record changes to laws and regulations. I had quite a lot of responsibility, and I needed to talk to many colleagues from all over the bank. That helped me to develop my network and stakeholder management. My current rotation is in the Operational Risk Oversight Wholesale & Rural Team. For this role, I’m in frequent contact with offices outside the Netherlands. I’m learning everything about the different types of operational errors that can be made. More importantly, I’m learning how to correct and prevent these mistakes. I’m also involved in the bank’s innovation projects. We monitor and observe these projects from a risk perspective so we can help them to grow.”
Generation of the future
“There is so much to learn at Rabobank. During the “Get-to-know-your-bank Day,” I discovered how diverse all the themes within Rabobank are. From how we help clients do business in a socially responsible way to how we can make a meaningful difference in the food and energy transition. These themes interest me as a Young Professional as well as personally. Take the climate crisis and the housing market: our generation cannot avoid these subjects.”
“I’m proud that my work at Rabobank can have a positive impact on that, for example, by helping clients become more sustainable. Not only in the Netherlands, but also abroad; it could also be a combination though. For instance, we offer a carbon credit that helps Dutch companies financially support foreign farmers who are improving their sustainability. Both sides benefit from this exchange. On the team I’m currently on, I challenge these projects from a risk perspective to help companies continue to grow.”
The 12 Raboskills
“As a Young Professional, you get to take all kinds of training courses. You learn hard skills in these training courses, but also soft skills like negotiating and networking. We call them “Future work skills“. They are essential skills for every ambitious Young Professional. The training about presenting skills enabled me to confidently host the kick-off for all new Young Professionals. I also discovered that I really enjoy presenting. Deciding to host the event was my own initiative. Showing initiative as a Young Professional is highly appreciated here. In that sense, you are your own boss, but you still get all the supervision you need.”
What is the supervision like?
“As a Rabobank Young Professional, you can always count on help. Whether it’s from your buddy on the team you’re a part of or your mentor in the Young Professional Program. Actually, you can get advice from all the people you meet on the job: everyone is willing to help you. And don’t forget your fellow Young Professionals. Since we see each other regularly, both at work and away from it, we learn a lot from one another. We talk about all the stuff we run up against in the shift from being a student to being a Young Professional.”
“I am really glad I found such a close group here at Rabobank. We work from home usually and go to the office a few days a week. The Young Professionals have a set day in the week when we all go to the office. We have lunch together and after work we head into town for a beer. Just as we all have our own things to offer professionally, we all have different personal qualities too. For one, half of us are from a different country than the Netherlands. It’s a diverse group!”
Questions for the recruiter?
Would you like to find out more about the Young Professional Program in Risk Management? Don’t hesitate to contact our recruiter.