How Mawadda landed her Backend Development Intern role at Van Lanschot Kempen

How it all started

I knew that engineering and software development are male-dominated fields, but it's only when you get there that reality hits you. It was always me and two or three other women in class, which didn't feel like a real community. One day at university I saw a poster for HerFuture and I thought, okay, whoa, a tech organization for women, that's for me! My family encouraged me to sign up, saying I'd get opportunities I wouldn't otherwise find by myself… they were right.

The magic moment

My first HerFuture event was an in-house day at Van Lanschot Kempen (which included High Tea!). There, I got to know Florencia, one of their recruiters. I really loved meeting other women in tech for the first time. It was so refreshing. After that I started following Van Lanschot Kempen on LinkedIn, and then I saw their post about their own Women in Tech event.

Getting my foot in the door

Not long after the in-house day, I came back to Van Lanschot Kempen for their Women in Tech event. I was very outspoken and energetic, and I asked a lot of questions to the managers and employees. I remember my current manager telling me, "One of the reasons we asked you in for an interview after that event is because you showed great enthusiasm and asked a lot of questions. It was not about your experience, it was about your attitude."

How HerFuture contributed to my path

Getting accepted into these tech events and talking to employers showed me that they were actually very nice people who genuinely want to get to know you as a person. The fact that Van Lanschot Kempen partnered with HerFuture was also a big green flag to me, because that shows that they actually care about the people they hire. Many applications never get followed up on with most companies, so it was very attractive to me that Van Lanschot Kempen actually invited the people they wanted to hire to meet them first.

Where I am now & what I do

I've just recently finished my internship with Van Lanschot Kempen and am continuing my studies in computer science at Hogeschool Rotterdam. During my time at Van Lanschot Kempen, I worked on three main assignments: two involved refactoring code and the third was actually developing something for the company. Beyond these projects, I was surprised to learn so much about the soft skills I need to succeed, and I learned a lot about myself as a person. Now, I'm focusing on what excites me most about software development so I'm ready for my next work experience.

My advice to women who want to land a career in tech

Make yourself visible: go out there, attend the networking events, and get to know people. Don't just sit behind your laptop applying for jobs: most employers hire interns and graduates based on energy, interest, and motivation. Especially as a woman, if you just sit quietly, I don't think you receive the same opportunities. You have to show up and make yourself known.

Ready to start your journey?

Join the community and put yourself out there: your next big opportunity might just start at a HerFuture event. Sign up at app.herfuture.nl.

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