Spring Intern Review

The insight was a fantastic experience. Beforehand I was fairly sure I wanted to go into IB, however I needed a good insight into the experience, and Citi provided the perfect opportunity for this. Throughout the week I was involved in real work, and given access to pitches, and other documents from past deals, while also being able to chat to the team I was assigned to about the work. This all provided a highly enjoyable insight.

I felt valued throughout the process. Even during the interview stage, Citi were highly responsive and very communicative in comparison to some other big banks who were shockingly bad. During the week I felt very valued, there were people available at any time to react to any issue you might have, and the team I was with always made time for me, despite them being extremely busy. The whole experience gave me a real sense that Citi is a company that looks after its employees.

I received a lot of guidance and support. On most of the days we would have breakfast mornings where HR would talk or bring in someone from a division to talk. We would then have the opportunity to chat with these speakers. HR were excellent at ensuring all interns were involved and had everything they needed. My team also made sure I was well supported, I had several sit-down sessions with my mentor, and associates who talked me through various aspects of the job, and they were always willing to answer any questions I might have.

The skills I developed are not particularly applicable to my degree ( I study a non-finance degree), however it is of huge help in gaining a better understanding of the industry itself, and when I do my summer internship at Citi next year the skills I learnt during this insight will be very useful. Furthermore, the information I received ensured I have a wide perspective of how the bank operates, and thus can make a well-informed decision as to which division of the bank I would like to work in.

It was very well-structured. The days would often start with a breakfast presentation and networking session. We would then be free to shadow our teams for at least several hours, on some days we had the whole day to shadow. Throughout the week there were networking events, information presentations about Citi, the divisions within Citi and the future of Citi. The structure meant that I was never bored, I always had something to do (which is not always the case with these types of things), and I was always learning and engaged.

It was a surprisingly cooperative atmosphere among the other interns. I went in expecting a dog-eat-dog attitude among the other interns, however we all got on incredibly well, and worked together, and I made some good friends from it. While shadowing the team the atmosphere was brilliant, they didn't treat me as an unwanted responsibility, they treated me as another team member, seeking to involve me in as much as possible. Everyone was always friendly and willing to help.

In terms of financial investment, the company didn't pay us a salary, but they did cover all transportation costs, and all costs during the week, including accommodation for those from outside of London. We were also given some credit to use in the cafes and restaurants in the building. In terms of training and development the company didn't give us any formal training sessions. After all, this was an insight, not an internship. However, if we had questions or wanted to learn more, HR and whoever else would make efforts to ensure we had our questions answered and the experiences we wanted.

The insight gave me a very good idea of what it would be like to work at the firm.