Insight Student Review

A fantastic experience which was well-delivered considering that we had to switch to the online platform due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were a wide range of divisions which we were able to explore throughout the scheme and it was especially cool that the people representing the company were often MDs as this demonstrated the company truly valued us.

Without doubt, this was an experience which demonstrated that Citi had a commitment to us. The level of talent which was taken away from their usual day-to-day work to come and speak with us was a testament to this fact. Similarly, the company could have simply cancelled the SW program in light of the pandemic but pulled out all of the stops to provide us with a quality experience.

We received as much guidance as it was possible to give during the circumstances. Within the virtual online platform, there was an option for Q&A so naturally there were lots of questions for every speaker. Obviously, it was not possible to get through all of them but this did allow us a lot of support.

The insight really opened my eyes to some of the broader elements of finance and the range of topics which are covered within all divisions - not just the MSS division which I specifically applied for. The skills were particularly aided by the Amplify Finance session which Citi created for us to learn more about the macro environment.

The insight had a clear planned structure which covered a broad range of topics for finance. The only criticism I would possibly add here is that there were some speakers who I did not feel prepared for (particularly in the technology sections) because I am not from a technology background. Thus, it may have been improved if some prior reading materials had been provided.

A good atmosphere and the staff seemed quite upset that they were unable to meet us in person. They tried very hard to make the sessions as interactive as possible by using "pulses" in the online environment. Under the circumstances, there was little more they could have done. However, a Zoom Call in smaller groups might have added a little personal nature to the program.

The broad range of exercises which was provided was insightful; particularly in the BCMA and MSS aspects. We also received a lot of insight into the direction of finance and the likely topics which were going to drive financial markets for the next decade or so. The Amplify training was also welcome and an excellent educational resource.

What really came across very clearly was that the staff at Citi were passionate to be working there and more than that were proud of Citi and their jobs. They emphasised the role the bank was playing in trying to provide support for worldwide businesses and the importance of their global structure in this time of crisis.

As mentioned before the culture really shone through and there was an emphasis on the global nature of the bank, working across teams, the flexibility of Citi to support staff, they commented on training programs (like Udemy coding courses) which are available for employees and so much more. Staff were very passionate and highly knowledgable, and it was clear that passionate individuals could succeed.

I remain committed to a career in finance and ideally in markets and therefore the insight did not really change my opinion of my desired career path but did help to confirm that I want to be on the side of the markets business or working in M&A. It also opened my eyes to how many other areas there are in banking and the other places which I could potentially work in too.

NA - Virtual so no expenses.

Networking events were conducted online and they could have potentially been more personal by taking advantage of some of the new technologies like Zoom. That being said, networking with the other interns was very good thanks to LinkedIn and Whatsapp and we were encouraged to form groups and communicate with each other.

As good as could be expected given the pandemic. Would have been nice to have some Zoom calls. Although I am aware that people applying for divisions like BCMA did have this opportunity.

Lots of variety of activities.

Absolutely, a truly fantastic experience. As much as I would have liked to have gone into Citi in Canary Wharf for the week, this was still a great experience and I took away a lot of valuable lessons. Therefore, I could not recommend the experience more to a friend. So much learning about both Citi and markets.