Mary as Data & Tech trainee

Mary‘s story

Data & Technology Trainee

From combating financial crime to forecasting

‘I studied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at the University of Amsterdam. While studying for my Master’s, I worked full-time as a financial crime analyst. I found it interesting work – you analyse suspicious transactions, deal with customers and write risk reports – but I missed the technical side of things. When a recruiter approached me about the traineeship at DNB, I thought: is this a sign? The recruiter found me at just at the right time. I am currently working as a trainee on dashboards that forecast how many reports will be received from banks and other financial institutions and how long it will take to process them. With these insights, we can plan more effectively, manage expectations and allocate supervisory capacity more efficiently.

Technology and meaning

I was looking for a more technical challenge, and I’ve certainly found one here. I do a lot of work in Python, using machine learning and feature engineering. At the same time, the work at DNB is part of something bigger: you’re helping to ensure a stable financial system. That really appeals to me. In my previous job, I was also involved in combating financial crime, but at DNB, the focus is even broader with a greater emphasis on social responsibility. And the work is always varied. I don’t yet know where I’ll be doing my second placement, but I’ve already been in touch with the Financial Crime Supervision Department. That seems to me to be a great place to incorporate technology into the fight against financial crime.

I wanted a more technical challenge, and that’s what I’ve found here.

Learning in an open culture

What struck me straight away at DNB was how open everyone is. People make time for you, are happy to share their knowledge and are very approachable. The atmosphere isn’t stuffy at all: humour abounds, and you meet people of all ages and backgrounds. My first placement exposed me to Power BI. Totally new for me, but I was given a three-day training course and was able to start using it straight away. I enjoy learning new skills. And you get plenty of support at DNB: a buddy, a mentor, a work supervisor, a manager and of course the development programme together with the other trainees. That helps a lot. The working environment itself is fantastic too: plenty of natural light and greenery everywhere. During my lunch break, I like to walk to the Albert Cuyp market for some exercise and to browse the merchandise.

Collaboration without pressure

We’ve got a really great group of trainees. Everyone is friendly – we can bounce ideas off each other and share our experiences. We went on a two-day off-site, where we did a ropes course in the woods. I found it a bit nerve-wracking, but we’d discussed beforehand what we were looking for in collaboration. For me, it meant no pressure. Everyone really listened. We also did an activity where we had to pass a ball round in a set order. At first we were still tossing the ball somewhat spastically, but then we came up with a smarter solution. In the end, we did it in 1.1 seconds. I thought that was really cool, both technically and as a team. Just like DNB itself, really.'

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