Sebastian Kleber

Here at ING, we think about IT topics in a very innovative and implementation-oriented way. As an apprentice you are part of this dynamic development. There are no limits to your own ideas.

When you hear "ING" what is the first word that comes to mind:

Unique

Can you tell us briefly how you came to be at ING?

Sebastian: After school, I moved from the countryside to the city, where I wanted to start an apprenticeship in IT. But to find an apprenticeship as an IT specialist for application development in a direct bank came as a surprise. During the application phase, I had the feeling that ING was the right place for me. In retrospect, this is perhaps also because I had already been told during my first interview, that I was perceived as having a personality with a wide range of interests and perhaps had potential that went beyond the apprenticeship. I thought that was great.

What do you think makes the ING training program particularly interesting?

Sebastian: Right from the start, I had the feeling that my interests could be incorporated into the training program. The training is systematic but doesn’t follow a rigid plan. The trainees' individual interests are taken into account. Even as a newcomer, you are right in the middle of the practical side of things and are involved in day-to-day business. For example, I’ve already worked on our website and our internal communication software for customer dialogue.

What makes your work here special?

Sebastian: I find it very exciting to deal with the IT topics of the future. And to learn how they are implemented in a direct bank. In project-related work, I can work on concrete solutions. It’s very motivating to see how the results of my own work are put into practice. Shared successes are just as important: that's why social competence training plays an important role during the apprenticeship. It’s not so much about professional topics and competencies, but rather about the experience of team building and mutual exchange. Looking back, I was very enthusiastic about this.

Why are IT topics so interesting for you at ING?

As a direct bank, ING deals with IT topics in a very innovative and implementation-oriented way. As apprentices, we are part of this dynamic development and there are virtually no limits. All our ideas are given full consideration. In addition to the official training, there is a lot of freedom to get involved. Once a year, all IT trainees meet for a kind of brainstorming workshop: for example, we thought about building a smartphone. We then put this project into practice from A to Z: from the first brainstorming session, to the purchase of the components, to the finished result. Knowledge transfer and my professional development happen very individually: For example, in the case of content training by external providers. You learn super intensively, very individually and in small learning groups. This is a real added value.