What to expect as a trainee at KBC Asset Management
Meet Lisa, Emma, Alexandra and Tatiana. Six months ago, they started traineeships at KBC Asset Management and are now halfway through this unique experience. They are happy to share what you can expect from this multifaceted environment as a young graduate.
Can you each share a bit about your background? Why did you choose to become a trainee at KBC Asset Management?
Lisa: I studied mathematics and didn’t have a clear idea of which job I wanted to do. When I saw KBC at a job fair, I was drawn to them because the financial sector appeals more to me than the tech sector. After talking to the team I immediately applied for this traineeship.
Now I use my mathematical skills in risk management. One thing I work on is Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) risk, where we try to create a model to evaluate how a portfolio scores in relation to environmental, social and governance risks.
Emma: I studied business economics and majored in finance and financial law. When I applied at a consulting firm the recruiter noticed I spoke very enthusiastically about finance and asked me whether I had looked for a job in this field. I then started looking for a traineeship at a bank and chose KBC because they are one of the best in Belgium. The job ad mentioned legislation regarding sustainability, which matched my interests. They had an opening in the legal team at KBC Management, so it was a perfect fit.
Alexandra: I’m also a trainee in the legal team. I studied law and have an advanced master's degree in tax law. In my current role, I focus on the tax-related aspects of asset management, which matches up nicely with what I studied. I specifically chose an in-house position instead of becoming a lawyer. I was attracted to the financial sector because it’s constantly evolving and always socially relevant.
Tatiana: I have a master's degree in financial management. After talking with some friends who work here, I applied for a position as an analyst at KBC. But the recruiter suggested becoming a trainee in the Fund & Portfolio Management team, which seemed like an interesting opportunity. At the moment, my focus is on improving the monitoring of profit and loss, and risk, and analysing market data, mainly from the US and Europe.
What are your main challenges as trainees?
Tatiana: I have limited experience, whereas my colleagues are very experienced. Of course, this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Emma: For me, it’s setting priorities and organising my work. Luckily, I can rely on the help of my colleagues for that. In our ‘Learning circle’, an experienced colleague guides us in prioritising and other soft skills.
Alexandra: I fully relate to that. Also, because my background is in law, I’m learning a lot about economics and financial products. Our training program is very helpful for expanding our knowledge. It’s specifically designed for us.
Lisa: As I don’t have a background in economics either, my biggest challenge is filling in my knowledge gaps. In addition to taking courses on our online learning platform, I ask my colleagues a lot of questions. They’re really supportive.
What’s the atmosphere like at KBC Asset Management?
Emma: When you enter KBC Headquarters in Brussels, it’s quite inspiring and imposing. What you don’t expect from this first impression is that the working atmosphere is so friendly and informal. I think we are all wearing jeans right now :-) Everyone is really kind.
Alexandra: Asset Management is like a little family in a big organisation. The friendly atmosphere makes it very easy to meet new colleagues and settle in.
Lisa: I thought my colleagues would be older :-) but there is a good mix of experienced and new people, and different genders; it’s a diverse group, but everyone gets along well together.
Tatiana: In my team, there are fewer women. Perhaps partly because of the outdated stereotype that a Fund Manager or a Portfolio Manager is a man in a suit? The world is changing, though. One of the people who has taken me under their wing is a female colleague. Even though I have an official mentor – as we all do – she has naturally taken up that role as well. I’m learning a lot from both of them.
Lisa: Because KBC Asset Management is a smaller organisation within KBC Group, you see familiar faces all the time. Everyone is approachable and you know the managers personally.
Which career opportunities do you see for yourselves?
Emma: Thanks to the programme for our traineeship, I have a better understanding of which jobs there are in a business environment, and what they entail. I like my current team and expect I will stay here as a legal advisor after my traineeship. There is still so much to learn.
Alexandra: I feel the same. By doing projects with other teams, I’m getting a good view of the opportunities. I’ve discovered a lot of interesting jobs and inspiring people. I’ll most likely stay in my team as a legal advisor to deepen my knowledge.
Lisa: I won’t say I have a clear view of my next step yet, but I am quite interested in the Quant team. They develop the risk models that my current team validates. Working with them sounds nice. However, I’m still learning a lot and feel like there’s much more to explore in my current role as well.
And within Fund & Portfolio Management specifically?
Tatiana: Personally, I’m interested in the investment and strategy process, but there are a lot of topics you can specialize in.
It all depends on your interests. Within the team, there are opportunities to focus on fixed income, equity or strategy, and because everything is linked, everyone works closely together; e.g. analysts, fund and portfolio managers, and strategists.
What tips do you have for people considering joining KBC Asset Management?
Tatiana: To be a fund manager or a portfolio manager, the main thing is to be fascinated by how financial markets work. However, in general, the most important skills are being able to work together with others and wanting to learn.
Lisa: I agree, it’s much more about being interested in what you do, rather than already knowing how to do it. You learn most of what you need to know on the job.
Emma: As trainees, our workload allows us to take training courses, and experienced colleagues take the time to answer our questions in full. We can honestly say that KBC creates a very nice environment for learning on the job.
