Aidan came to Bright Network HQ recently and we were very fortunate that he shared his experiences after securing a Spring Week at Citi Group.
Why Citi?
Citi’s work experience programme was really appealing as it enabled me to shadow a specific division, which was Corporate Banking. It just seemed like the best fit when looking at my interests and it really gave me that opportunity to find out more about the industry.
How did you find out about the opportunity in the first place?
In all honesty, I wasn’t hugely aware of it to start off with but a combination of my own research and help from the university finance society put me on the right tracks. I also found the articles on Bright Network a real help as they gave me some useful tips in order to make the most of my Spring Week.
What was the best part of the Spring Week?
I’d say it was definitely the feeling of being included from the start. Some internships end up with you sitting on the sidelines, however Citi really let me get stuck in from the start. With a combination of presentations and working on projects, I really felt like there was an opportunity for me to prove myself and progress, even in that short space of time.
What was the most challenging part of the Spring Week?
At the end of my week, I was asked to do a presentation on what I had learned to the entire Financial Institutions Group team. These were the people I had been working with, so it was a group ranging from managing directors to junior analysts. Without a doubt, a pretty big moment overall.
Talk us through fast-track scheme for Citi, how did it benefit you?
It was definitely pretty handy. Ultimately if the initial Spring Week went well, there’s an opportunity to attend an assessment centre leading to a summer internship before the official applications open.
On top of that, it’s just great practice getting into an assessment centre and experiencing it first-hand.
