Name: Trang Nguyen
Track: Finance/ Risk
Studied: Finance and Investments Advanced
Trainee year: 2020
Why Finance and Risk traineeship?
After completing my master’s degree, I was keen on finding a career in the field of Finance or Investments. But a career within Finance or Investments is such a broad scope with many different possibilities in terms of roles and companies, so it was difficult for me as a fresh graduate to figure out exactly what I want. I participated in the Amsterdam Career Days in February to have a better idea of the possibilities within those companies participating. Among all the workshops and talks I signed up for, the workshop of NN definitely impressed me the most with the enthusiasm and positive vibes from all the trainees and HR colleagues I talked to. The traineeship in Finance and Risk (F&R) provides a perfect opportunity for me to learn more about different departments within F&R and later on decide on what I would fit the most with. I decided to apply for the traineeship soon after the recruitment event. I am glad that after several months of the online application process, I got the traineeship and finally started my first rotation at the Chief Actuary Office as of September.
Starting a new job during Covid time is not easy …
Due to the working from home situation, I had much less social contact with my colleagues and other trainees. I also sometimes encountered difficulties with technical issues or understanding basic questions that could have been easily fixed if we were in the office. Despite these challenges, I am grateful that I was still able do the onboarding digitally and receive a warm welcome from my new colleagues. All colleagues that I have been in contact with, both in my team and outside my team at CAO, have been so open, friendly and very supportive. I guess we can call it NN culture 😊 As a trainee, there are always people that I could come for further guidance with both my personal and professional development, namely my managers, my mentor and my trainee group. I am very grateful for these connections that help me stay positive and connected with work during the working from home situation in the last few months.
… but it also comes with several benefits
I have a much more flexible working schedule at home and since everything is available online, I can quickly fill up the empty slots in my first few weeks with online classes available on MyLearn! Due to the working from home situation, I save at least 2.5 hours per day on the commuting time between Utrecht and our office in Den Haag. I definitely enjoy these extra hours to do more yoga in the morning before getting to my desk or walk around the neighbourhoods to get some fresh air after work, which I find extremely helpful to keep a healthy body and mind at home. Besides, I also much appreciate the opportunities to connect with other colleagues and other trainees on virtual events such as team lunches or coffee catch-ups, which are also really fun to do!
A positive note: In the end, your mind determines your action. Although the working from home situation during Covid times creates challenges for new joiners like me and all other colleagues within NN, it does provide several opportunities for us to re-think the way we work and connect with our colleagues. I believe that if we focus on the bright side of the Covid situation (flexible working, online connections) and make the most out of it, we can definitely go through this strange time together and soon see each other happily in the office! If you have any questions about the traineeship or just curious to know more about me, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at trang.nguyen@nn-group.com or LinkedIn.
