Online Application
This stage will take 1-2 hours to complete. It requires you to fill in usual personal details and education history. You will also be asked to submit your CV. Citibank doesn’t require a Cover Letter, instead they ask you three questions. Each one has around a 250-300 word limit.
Example task
The 3 questions I faced were along the lines of:
- What research have you done to help you understand Citi and the program you are applying for?
- Considering your own personal strengths, what experiences have you had that equip you for this program?
- What do you do to keep your knowledge of business and finance current and on that basis, what recent story in the business press has interested you most and why?
How to respond for success
I used my past work experience, coupled with what Citi was looking for in the job description. I also made sure to include Citi's core values in my answers.
Expect a 1 to 2-week wait before progressing to the next stage.
Online Tests
The next stage is a numerical test. It is timed, and it will take about 15 minutes. However, each question has its own time limit. You will most likely be faced with four scenarios, and you get asked three questions in each scenario.
Example task
You will be asked to interpret data sets and analyse different graphs.
How to respond for success
The test is conducted by Korn Ferry. I would recommend it because you will get used to the format. It is a good representation of the actual test.
Expect a 2 to 4-week wait before progressing to the next stage.
Online Tests
The next stage is a numerical test. It is timed, and it will take about 15 minutes. However, each question has its own time limit. You will most likely be faced with four scenarios, and you get asked three questions in each scenario.
Example task
You will be asked to interpret data sets and analyse different graphs.
How to respond for success
The test is conducted by Korn Ferry. I would recommend it because you will get used to the format. It is a good representation of the actual test.
Expect a 2 to 4-week wait before progressing to the next stage.
Phone Interview
Each phone interview was around 30 minutes long. One was on competency questions, the one was on financial markets. I made sure I came across confidently, it was handy as I had my notes in front of me so I was more relaxed. Make sure you know why Citi, why they stand out and why you want to work for them.
Example task
Give an example of when you handled high pressure?
How to respond for success
I would write out specific answers that you can use for each different type of competency / technical question. I would also recommend you use the STAR technique too.
Situation: Describe the situation and when it took place.
Task: Explain the task and what was the goal.
Action: Provide details about the action you took to attain this.
Result: Conclude with the result of your action.
Expect a 1-month wait before progressing to the next stage.
Assessment Centre
This is the final stage of the application process. It consists of 2 interviews, that are 30 minutes each, followed by 1 presentation that lasts 30 mins too. The entire assessment centre was hosted via Zoom.
Example task
The presentation was on ESG (Environmental Social, and Governance) criteria and I had 24 hours to prepare for it prior to the Assessment Centre. I was tasked with presenting it to the COO at Citi!
How to respond for success
I was fairly confident and relaxed as I had practiced loads beforehand. I listen to the FT each morning and kept up to date with market news. They asked me a markets question and I directed it towards private equity.The MD then asked about 10 questions regarding Private equity which I fortunately knew about, so the advice I would give is having an area in markets which you are interested in and can talk about for days!
