Phyllis Qian
This is the place to be for me if I want to become a top-notch engineer
Phyllis has always been open to adventure. Born and raised in China, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in Europe. A few years later, although she was quite happy doing a PhD in Germany, she didn’t hesitate to swap it for a place in the ING Tech Class when the chance arose.
“I never regret any step. I take my learnings from each experience with me to the next adventure,” Phyllis says. Her bachelor’s in Information Technology that she obtained in Beijing opened the doors for a combined master’s programme in Computer Graphics in Stockholm (Sweden) and Delft (the Netherlands). She then spent a year working in Shanghai before securing a PhD research job in Germany. “That was a great experience, because the whole scientific, academic world was so different from what I was used to.”
However, the Netherlands exerted its pull over her again when she heard friends talking enthusiastically about ING’s Tech Class. “It seemed the perfect opportunity to do what I wanted for the next move: provide services for real customers, with real products that I myself contributed to.”
That dream has now become reality for Phyllis in her first fixed position since finishing the one-year Tech Class, which comprised three individual assignments and one group assignment. “I did my individual assignments in data analysis, automation testing and as a Java developer for Bank Mendes Gans (BMG). Part of ING Wholesale Banking, BMG provides liquidity management solutions for multinational corporates. I immediately realised that I wanted to stay at BMG. This is the place to be for me if I want to become a top-notch engineer.”
“I’m part of a team that provides customer support and data maintenance for BMG clients. This involves a lot of database operation, and meticulous back-end and front-end work. I love the deeply technical part of my job, the agile way of working and the supportive and energetic vibe in our team. My personal highlight so far was the day that the feature I‘d been working on during my third assignment went live. I was so excited that our customers would be using features that I contributed to!”
“The Tech class really helped me to find my talents and my favourite topics. I developed myself as an engineer, as an ‘agile worker’ and as a team player, but I also improved my soft skills such as presenting. Moreover, I got to know people from other departments, both through the assignments and by being in the class with other young graduates, some of whom have become real friends. This is the best experience I’ve had so far!”
Phyllis:
- Started the ING Tech Class in October 2021
- Loves to read
- Is learning Dutch and also learning to play the cello
- Does ‘a bit’ of climbing and diving
- Has a passion for research and can’t resist exploring interesting subjects