The ITP programme

Hello, my name is Jean-Philippe. I am in charge of ITP for ING Luxembourg. I’d like to use this page to answer all your ITP-related questions. Go ahead; I’m all ears.

Ah! There we go; someone has a question. I’m listening…

Camille : Hello, short and sweet, what is ITP?

Jean-Philippe : ITP stands for International Talent Program. It is a program for young graduates holding a master’s degree (1st year or 2nd year) and having worked for less than two years. They are recruited on a contract of undetermined length, which means they will benefit from all the advantages of bank employees.

Emmanuel : What kinds of profiles are you looking for for this program?

Jean-Philippe : I’m not going to lie; we’re looking for people with exceptional potential for this program. We hope to recruit young graduates to eventually fill management positions or be experts in their field. As such, the recruitment process is very selective and a lot will be expected of management trainees (that is what we call members of the program) throughout their whole careers.

Sophie : Is this program specific to ING Luxembourg?

Jean-Philippe : Here we go. Now the questions are flying in, we’ll be able to really get into the meat of the subject!
Actually, Sophie, this program is run by the ING group, from Amsterdam. Numerous entities all around the world take part. This offers innumerable possibilities to develop your network and benefit from experiences abroad.

Sarah : You spoke a bit about contracts, but what types of positions are offered as part of ITP?

Jean-Philippe : When you apply to the program, you have to, right from the off, select a track among 5 possibilities. What that means is that you have to define what kind of position you would like to fill at ING Luxembourg. In fact, to make this a little bit more clear, I’ll briefly tell you about the different tracks:

Wholesale Banking : If you want to work in direct contact with companies, develop your commercial sense, deepen your financial analysis skills, or get a glimpse into the world of trading rooms, then this is the track for you!
Retail Banking : If you’re looking for a purely commercial experience in close contact with our clients, be they individual or private banking clients, this is the track for you. It will open up opportunities in various departments, such as Portfolio Management, Product Management, Strategy & Business Intelligence or Marketing.
Finance : You feel more enticed by running checks and accounting? Then choose the Finance track. You will have the opportunity to work with different services and participate in the strategising process and follow its implementation, and follow the bank’s progress.
Risk : The financial world is constantly evolving. This makes risk positions more and more strategically important all time. If this is your field of interest, this track is made for you.
IT : You want to specialise in IT? Be a project manager? Position yourself as a business partner to services and support their strategy? Then choose the IT track and build your future, and the bank’s.

I hope my answer was complete enough.

Aurélie : What is the actual content of ITP?

Jean-Philippe :The question we’ve all been waiting for!

Taking part in ITP means being given the opportunity to work in three 6-month rotations in different departments. The first rotation will always take place within your chosen track. The second can, but doesn’t have to; you can try out a different track (e.g. an IT Management Trainee can work a rotation in business). However, the third track will always be based abroad within a different group entity. The choice is yours whether you want an experience in Europe, or if you want to go to ING entities as far afield as North America, Asia, or Australia. The length of the third rotation depends on the choice of country (between 3-6 months). These rotations can be taken in any order.

Laurent : Could you call this program an apprenticeship?

Jean-Philippe : Yes, I suppose you could. During this 18-month program, you will benefit from four 2 to 3-week training sessions in Amsterdam (one per year, on average). And they’ll be in English! They offer you the chance to meet management trainees from other entities and create a truly multicultural community. The focus will be on learning about the ING group, its values, the running of its departments, and the spirit of the group, our so-called Orange Spirit. There is also a focus on teamwork, with people given objectives to accomplish together.

Fabrice : This all sounds very exciting, but I imagine that you expect a lot from management trainees?

Jean-Philippe : Practically speaking, there are certain certifications that we expect management trainees to obtain for each track (e.g. CFA for Risk and Wholesale Banking), but where our expectations are highest is with regards to behaviour. We expect an entrepreneurial spirit from our management trainees, as well as respect for ING values, and, ultimately, we expect them to reach extraordinary goals. We expect them to be exemplary and assiduous in all their work because we are training them to be the managers of the future. We want our ITP-ers to take control of their careers, so that they can get the most out of this international program.

Stéphanie : Okay, we get the message! If I want to apply, what’s the process like?

Jean-Philippe : I’m going to have to side-step that question. Not because I don’t want to answer, but because the answer is already here on this page.

Tempus fugit; I will have to leave you soon. We probably have time for three more short questions!

Gaëlle : Management trainees are not considered interns?

Jean-Philippe : I can guarantee one thing: They will be given a contract of undetermined length.

Caty : How many positions are on offer every year?

Jean-Philippe : It depends… usually somewhere between 3 and 6, depending on the year. There will not necessarily always be a position open in a given track every year, as ING Luxembourg does wish to maintain its structure as a mid-size company.

Alexandra : How much does a management trainee earn?

Jean-Philippe :Well, I would propose that you apply and pass the tests and then we’ll get down to these kinds of practical details.

That’s it. I hope I could pique your interest in ITP. If you want apply, feel free to consult the ITP openings under Employment offers on INGJOBS.lu.

Good luck!