Ulviya Gadzhieva

“I was keen to work in the corporate world and given my studies, working at a bank seemed like a logical option. It was also a chance to combine interesting work in terms of content, with the opportunities to develop rapidly as well as getting to know other parts of the bank through short- or long-term assignments. It sounded like an ideal way to kickstart my career!”

Would reality match my expectations?

“My internship was a great way to find out whether the reality of working at ING would match my expectations. I was relieved to find out this was indeed the case.  What surprised me most was the responsibility I was given in my job from day one. There is a lot of flexibility and freedom in the way you carry out your work, and how you reach your goals. That works very well for me.”

Blue hair, don’t care

“Since this was my first job, I had nothing to compare it with. I did have a few small worries, though: what if I don't like my colleagues, or the work turns out to be boring? I knew I needed a challenge and variety, and most importantly, opportunities to learn and grow. Or suppose it's very formal and stiff, then I wouldn’t fit in. Now I can laugh about all this with relief. Even if I showed up at work with blue hair, it wouldn’t matter.”

More than enough variety

“When it comes to the work itself, there’s more than enough variety! Right now, my duties mostly lie in the area of business analysis for an international programme to migrate various financial applications, currently for Taiwan and Hong Kong.

As a side role, I facilitate the department’s management team’s meetings. I make sure all the arrangements are in place, from the agenda to the subsequent reporting. It’s a great central role, in which I’m close to the action and have a holistic overview of what’s going on in the department. This role broadens my horizons and allows me to acquire additional information about the domain I am working in, which also helps me in my daily work.”

Go abroad? Yes please!

“In the two years that I’ve been working here full-time, I’ve never had a dull day. Very reassuringly, a colleague who has worked here for 25 years told me exactly the same. Mind you, it’s your own responsibility to make it as exciting and dynamic as you’d like. For instance, I’ve already completed a six-month short-term assignment in the Netherlands (on the messaging system for SWIFT payment orders) and am now hoping to do a long-term assignment abroad sometime in the future, preferably in the United States or Asia. I'm sure that an opportunity will come along!”