Spring Intern Review

I feel like the spring insight week at Citi was one of the best learning experiences I've ever had. The activities were very diverse, ranging from presentations and work shadowing to socials. I had the chance to have one to one conversations and meetings with people all across the business, which of course was very useful.

I definitely felt like I was very valued during my time at Citi. All the people I talked to were extremely keen to know more about my background and interests, but also eager to give me explanations and advice. I constantly received advice and guidance, and of course feedback. Many people (even very busy seniors) took 30 minutes or even more in their schedule to talk to me, which really impressed me.

At Citi you are assigned a buddy (an analyst in your division) and a line manager (a senior person in your division) who help you with everything you need from day 1. They provided a lot of support. For example, my manager personally made sure I have all the materials and the information I need for a presentation. Moreover, she personally arranged meetings and telephone calls for me so that I get to speak with as many people as possible (most of them VP or higher level).

The information I received and the things that I learnt were very useful for enhancing my general understanding of banking and its core functions. This has made me more confident and will definitely help me with my future applications.

The insight was structured very well. We were given a clear schedule with times and rooms on the first day and generally things ran smoothly. The programme was also very balanced, with each day having a range of activities: presentations, work shadowing, breaks, other activities.

I loved the atmosphere during my insight at Citi. All the people I've met (other interns, the HR team, the team in my division) were very friendly and approachable, which made me feel comfortable but also continuously excited and eager to ask lots of questions.

Citi made sure we have all the resources we need to understand the business and to succeed in all our activities.

The insight definitely gave me a very clear image of what it would be like to work at Citi full time. I got to experience the business directly, observing and taking part into the office life there. Through presentations and discussions I found out the particularities of all the roles within my division and how they contribute to the business.

I think this insight was the best possible way to understand Citi's culture. Talking to people all across the organisation and directly seeing how they work and how they collaborate made me understand what Citi prizes and how the Citi culture really is like.

The insight I got into my division convinced me that it is a place suitable for me to work in. I learnt a lot through the content in the presentations on the different parts of the business, delivered by experienced employees.

I booked flights through Citi travel agents, a process which was really easy. They also booked accommodation for me, which was very close to the Citi building in London. All the expenses (including food) were either directly paid for or reimbursed by Citi.

There were 2 socials during the week. The first one was the senior networking social, during which we had the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the seniors in all the divisions at Citi. The second one was the junior social, which was organised for us to meet the analysts across the organisations. Besides these, of course every day I was encouraged to talk to people in my division and my manager and my buddy introduced me to many people there.

The networking and social event opportunities were a fun and relaxed way to learn more about the divisions and the work-life balance of the employees, as well as their experience and backgrounds. It was easy to interact with everyone and ask them questions.

We had a presentation about the social responsibility programmes that Citi runs, which I was impressed about. Employees are, for example, encouraged to take part in volunteering activities and there are also annual events that are organised, usually for fundraising.

I would definitely recommend this insight to anyone. The spring week at Citi was an amazing experience which helped me both professionally and personally. I had a great time and would any time repeat the whole experience.