Courage to network takes you far

Former International trainee Ida Vanhanen shares how active networking, cross‑border training and SEB’s open culture shaped her career path and professional growth.

Positive experiences from people in her circle encouraged Ida Vanhanen to apply for SEB’s International Trainee Programme. Her major in Finance at Aalto University, combined with the international CEMS Master’s Programme in Management, provided an excellent foundation for applying to the 2018 trainee programme.

“Of course, you also need to have a strong interest in the banking sector,” Ida says, adding: “I also believe you get the most out of the trainee year by being active and taking initiative.”

SEB’s nine‑month International Trainee Programme consists of three parts, of which a significant component includes training sessions held in Sweden, the Baltics, and Germany. Ida participated in numerous trainings throughout the year, with themes ranging from personal development to negotiation and leadership skills.

The trainings were also a great opportunity to network with trainees from other countries and to get to know Swedish corporate culture better:
“It has been interesting to get to know the Swedish, discussion‑oriented corporate culture, it does differ a bit from the Finnish one,” Ida laughs.

Getting to know the organisation

The trainings were far from the only thing keeping trainees busy, an important part of the year was also gaining a broad understanding of the bank’s operations.

“During the year we went through all the different units of the bank. We heard from every team and unit about their work and responsibilities,” Ida explains.

Each trainee also completed an international rotation; Ida’s took place in Singapore.

The third component of the programme is the actual work itself, which involves either rotations across teams or working within your own team. Ida was able to rotate through several teams during the year, and by the end, the Financial Strategy unit felt like the best fit.

A surprisingly diverse programme

Ida had already heard good things about SEB’s open culture and friendly colleagues, but the programme’s versatility still surprised her:

“The programme was a really positive experience. What surprised me the most was how many different elements it included. There was personal development, day‑to‑day work, and continuous learning about different parts of the bank—it was really fantastic.”

A flat hierarchy

Banks are sometimes still perceived as hierarchical organisations, but Ida challenges that assumption:

“At SEB, the culture is low‑hierarchy and informal. People are very open, and no one cares about titles. As a trainee, you could always ask for help, or even for someone to join you for coffee, even if the person was much more senior.

We were told during the trainee year that you can email anyone in the organisation, and it’s true. I contacted many people to learn more about their work, and every single one of them agreed.”

The trainee year was full of memorable experiences, making it nearly impossible for Ida to pick a single highlight. One definite high point, however, was the international trainee group:

“We had an international group from Sweden, Germany and Finland, which was absolutely wonderful.”

After the trainee year ended, Ida was offered a position as an Analyst in the Helsinki Financial Strategy unit.

“I enjoy roles where I can solve problems, analyse data around a specific topic and draw conclusions from it,” Ida explains.