You can work in digital and not be a developer

Isabelle Zwetsloot is Reporting Manager at the IT and Operations Department at Rabobank. Together with her team, she focuses on making data available and transparent by creating dashboards for internal use.

What do you like the most about your job?

My work is very different from day to day. I like to find solutions together with the technical guys in the team, to fix production problems and to brainstorm about developing new dashboards. But what I also love about my job is the fact that I am actually creating things. I develop dashboards that I cannot only use myself, but that can help people working for Rabobank to make their work more efficient.

What is it like to work in a team with a lot of men?

I like working in a team with mostly guys and I am used to it. But I believe the best results can be reached in a mixed team. And with mixed, I don’t only mean the amount of guys versus girls, but also people with different ages and from different backgrounds, for the best possible group dynamic.

What are the opportunities for young women pursuing a career in digital technology in the future?

When people think about digital technology, often an image of a department with just developers come to mind. But there are a lot of different jobs in digital technology. There are people doing project management, human resources and people working in management positions. There are many great options for girls in this industry, besides being a developer.

Can you give any advice to girls starting their careers in digital technology?

It’s not scary to work in a team with only guys. My experience is that in a team of guys, it works to just have common sense and be down to earth. I sometimes tell my team I have a ‘blonde question’. The answer is very obvious to them, but by asking such a question, I am actually keeping them sharp. Don’t expect to know everything. Just dare to ask and you will learn from there.