Working as a Developer in support of the Investment Bank, Becca has had many preconceptions challenged since she joined the bank. With fintech being dominated by men, she was mentally preparing for strategies to deal with that. She’s quickly realised that things have changed for the better. Joining our Global Graduate Programme, she noticed how all her peers were from very diverse backgrounds. Her perceptions of the environment changed completely and it made for a great platform for her career, as her misgivings quickly faded away.
“I started exploring diversity and inclusion and quickly found there were lots of role models I could learn from.”
Changing perceptions
One thing that Becca is finding really useful at the bank is the opportunity to network with colleagues all over the bank – and the benefits that brings. She soon got involved with dbGO, our Employee Resource Group focussed on building a more inclusive, gender-balanced workplace. Through dbGO she has been inspired through many different people and revels in how easy it is to get involved, and how welcoming the group is.
“Connecting with people you wouldn’t otherwise have any chance of speaking to really shakes up your perspective.”
Through a pilot reverse mentoring scheme, she was paired with someone much more senior, and in a completely different part of the bank. The idea is that both people learn from one another as much as possible and experience new and different perspectives. It also helps them connect with lots of different people in the network, perfect if you’re a developer like Becca. Connecting with so many people through these different forums has changed the bank from what was a huge organisation in her head, into something much more open, with an easily accessible global network. And of course, all these new conversations have made a big difference to her career development.
Diversity is more than the latest buzzword
Diversity is on everyone’s lips at Deutsche Bank, sometimes with the effect that people take it for granted. But Becca encourages people to grasp the opportunities that our inclusive culture offers with both hands.
“Say yes to everything. It will help you build a solid network of diverse people with different perspectives, that you can reach out to for advice.”