13 years at SEB and counting – how first job experience can be a success

Rūta is a splendid example of a successful first job experience. She joined SEB right after graduating from university with the idea that it would be her perfect workplace. So far, her opinion about that has not changed. She has been working at SEB for 13 years now and finds a lot of motivation to learn and grow every day. 

Tell me your story – when and how you started working at SEB? 

I started working at SEB in 2010, so it has been almost 13 years now. It was my first real job after university graduation. My relative worked here and shared with me many good things about SEB. Also, SEB was rated the number 1 employer in Lithuania at that time. It was very tempting to join. I was a young kid joining a big corporation thinking it was a perfect workplace for me. And I was right. My opinion has not changed until now. 

What made you stay at SEB for so long? 

I believe it’s the SEB environment, the people I have met, and the great, inspiring managers I have, who are true leaders. There were no reasons for me to leave. 

How have SEB and you changed during this time? 

SEB Global services changed a lot throughout these years. 13 years ago, it was only a beginning, only two years in Lithuania for SEB Global Services. In the beginning, it was only a small unit starting their journey. We have expanded in terms of staff and variety of functions, more departments were moved to Vilnius. But the values of SEB were there from the very beginning, I felt it when I started. 

I grew up together with SEB. My journey here started working as a Bank Operations Specialist in Operations for private customers and small companies and now I am in Transaction Services, working in Client Services with Large Corporates. 

What are your main responsibilities at SEB?  

I am happy to be in the Client Service Managers role at Cash Management Client Services. My teammates are great professionals, experienced in banking and financial services.  

I work with Germany site Large Corporates and Financial Institutions. Together with the team, we support our clients with their daily Cash Management questions, implementation of new products and services. Also, every day we try to expand our advisory capabilities and try to find ways for our clients to become more efficient in their business. 

Tell me more about your team and your colleagues. 

I am lucky that I have met great leaders here at SEB. I have had different managers, but all of them were excellent at their job. They were true leaders, who brought the team together. This feeling of belonging to the team motivates you to work together, to achieve goals. I am happy that my colleagues are not only great professionals in their field, but also very friendly and always willing to help. Throughout all these years I have established so many friendships here at SEB and this is the biggest gift that I have received. 

What are the things that help your team to bond? 

Sometimes it’s just a short coffee break when you can chat with your teammates about work and other stuff as well. It was a challenge during the pandemic when we had only online meetings. Now we are getting back together to live meetings, and this is very refreshing. Meeting physically helps to build the team on another level. Of course, we also have wonderful team building events, which also help us to get to know each other better. 

If you could encourage someone considering working at SEB, what would your pitch be? 

If you are willing to learn every day, have great professional colleagues, achieve goals and be a part of a great community – this is a place for you to be. 

What are the main requirements you need to have in your role? 

I think being proactive is very important. You must be willing to take responsibility, solve client’s issues, and be mature to make decisions on your own. You need to have good communication skills to support the client. Of course, knowledge and experience are crucial as well. For newcomers, we have one month of training in cash management products, communication skills, and how to handle situations with clients. And everything else comes with experience. 

What motivates you the most at your job? 

I am very result orientated, I like to solve challenges and achieve goals. At the end of the day, I am happy that I solved some issues. What also motivates me is when I get direct feedback from the customer. The appreciation you get moves you to the next day because you feel inspired. Relationships and communication play a significant role for me. 

What do you like to do in your free time? 

I am a mother of two little kids, so naturally I spend a lot of time with them. I like to explore new places, that’s why we love traveling together with family. Even places that I have visited in the past now appear to me in a different light when traveling together with kids. 

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