How Leyli landed her Fund Reporting Intern role at Van Lanschot Kempen
Meet Leyli, Fund Reporting Intern at Van Lanschot Kempen, where she works on the application that produces reports on funds. Her path there started at her very first HerFuture event, as a computer science student from the US still figuring out the Dutch job market. A good conversation at the HerFuture x VLK in-house day, with the person who's now her manager, turned into an internship where she's picking up real sprint tasks. It's a story about showing up even before you feel ready.
How it all started
I moved to the Netherlands for my computer science degree, and coming from the US, I had no idea what the working culture here even looked like or what companies were out there. I started going to HerFuture events pretty early on, in my first or second year, mostly just to figure out my options. That's actually how I first heard of Van Lanschot Kempen. Without HerFuture, I don't think I would have known the company existed at all.
The magic moment
It all traces back to my first HerFuture event: that's where VLK first landed on my radar. I later went to one of their women in tech sessions and to the HerFuture x VLK in-house day, expecting nothing more than a look around, but the vibes were good and the culture was clearly built around curiosity, not judgment. At that same event I ended up in a nice conversation with someone who's now my manager!
Getting my foot in the door
Honestly, a big part of it was just pushing myself to show up even when I didn't feel fully ready. I used to fall into the trap of assuming a recruiter would judge me for everything I didn't know yet, but I had to remind myself that not knowing something isn't a crime, I just had to stay curious and keep learning. So I applied for the department I'd connected with at the event, went through the interview, and got chosen!
How HerFuture contributed to my path
Beyond just the connection to VLK, HerFuture gave me a way to understand my environment as someone brand new to the country and to a whole professional culture. It helped me figure out what to expect and how to navigate it, which honestly mattered as much as any job lead. And on my first day at VLK, I actually recognized some fellow interns from a HerFuture event: we'd met before without even realizing we'd end up on the same team! Having that familiar face made a new job feel a lot less like starting from zero.
Where I am now & what I do
My internship is on the fund reporting team, working on an application that produces reports on funds, and beyond the actual code, I had to learn the business context behind all of it. I came in knowing how to code for a university assignment, but not what clean code actually looks like or how to properly review a pull request, so that's been a huge part of the learning curve. I started with a tailor-made task to get familiar with the codebase, and by the second half of my internship I was picking up real sprint tasks alongside the team, basically doing the work of a junior developer.
My advice to women who want to land a career in tech
Just start somewhere and keep going, because nobody walks in already knowing everything about their field. A lot of us carry this extra fear of being wrong or embarrassing ourselves that a lot of the guys we're competing against just don't seem to have, and it's worth noticing that and not letting it hold you back. Put yourself out there, apply even when you're not sure you're ready, and don't be afraid of messing up: it actually builds a kind of immunity for the future. It's not something you can cram for once and be done with, it's a process you keep going even after you land the job.
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.
