EMEA Consumer Pakistan > Undergraduate

Business Description

Citibank Pakistan launched its consumer bank in 1990 and since then has been credited with many ‘firsts’ especially in terms of developing the consumer banking market. We are proud to undertake projects that seek to develop and serve the communities that we are a part of.

Citibank Pakistan’s employees continues to honor its responsibility to its clients, putting them first by providing superior advice, products and services and always acting with the highest level of integrity.

What service do we provide to our clients?

Citibank has been operating in Pakistan for over 40 years and has successfully delivered on its commitment to provide consumers, corporations and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services.

Combining some of the most respected brands in the financial services business - the Global Consumer Group (GCG) Pakistan is uniquely positioned to offer a complete array of financial products.

GCG has demonstrated its ability to identify market needs and develop products which are unique in concept and fulfill customer requirements. The aptitude to develop lifelong relationships while maintaining quality measures and technological efficiencies has assisted Citibank in becoming a true market leader.

Powerful distribution networks, electronic channels, myriad of financial products which cater to customer mix, broad product capabilities - this is what is needed to succeed in the volatile markets of today. This is what allows us to offer institutes worldwide the right financial solutions - every time, all the time.

GCG Pakistan is composed of three distinct business divisions:

Branch Banking is committed to providing its clients the highest level of service possible. Recognized as a leader and a trendsetter in the financial markets, branch banking strives to achieve Citibank's global objective of customer satisfaction and quality through well- diversified and innovative product offerings such as Citi Blue, Citigold and wealth management. A team of highly committed professionals are dedicated to provide a comprehensive solution to meet the financial needs of individuals and small businesses. With a wide network of branches and ATM centers in all the major cities of Pakistan the Citibank brand has been built on our overarching belief that customer trust and satisfaction are the basis of business success.

Cards & Insurance Business Pakistan is an integral part of International Cards, a division of Citigroup and one of the largest international credit card issuers in the world, with operations in over 40 countries across six continents (excluding the U.S. and Canada).

In Pakistan, cards are issued on the MasterCard and Visa payment systems across 8 major cities. These also include co-branded cards with Mobilink and Caltex and the highly differentiated Clear Card. Cards & Insurance Business Pakistan contributes approximately 60% of the revenue and profitability to the Citi Pakistan's consumer franchise.

Retail Assets as a business group refers to Installment Based Financing products. It constitutes of both secured & unsecured lending. Currently it has four products in its portfolio i.e., Personal installment loans (PIL), Auto Loans, Home loans and Sales Finance. Business is currently working on two other products to be launched by the end of this year i.e., Ready Credit and Business Finance. These are revolving lines and can be referred as extension of PIL and home loan installment products. Our aim is to provide solutions to customer’s specific needs through most convenient and affordable products.

How are we structured: 

• Branch Banking
• Retails Assets
• Cards
• Operations and Technology
• Credit
• Human Resources
• Financial Control Legal and Compliance
• Legal and Compliance
• Global Consumer Group - Pakistan

Roles of an MA

Saba Karim
Recruitment Manager
Human Resources

“I joined Citi as a Management Trainee in July 2006, after completing a liberal arts degree; for me, the banking arena was never been a predetermined choice, as I had never been much of a number cruncher. An experimenter, though, I was. Citi’s experience has been truly phenomenal, both in terms of my personal and professional evolvement. Most significantly, it has made me realize the vast spectrum of pursuits that lay before us, stretching way beyond the constrictions of “finance” and “investments”.

I rotated in the areas of Human Resources and Public Affairs throughout my tenure as a Management Trainee. My chief area of interest was Human Resources, which is where I was placed at the end of my rotations. As an MT, I was given various portfolios, ranging from handling recruitment for the corporate and consumer businesses, campus presentations, the summer internship program and the Management Trainee program itself. During my rotation in Public Affairs, I worked on various grant related projects for the Citi Foundation, with a specific focus on microfinance and poverty alleviation/ education. What made this an entirely unique experience was simply the degree of ownership/ responsibility bestowed upon us as MT’s: in short, they take you seriously!

As Management Trainees, we were literally treated as the crème de la crème of the bank; the program provided us with a great deal of exposure to senior management, at various junctures, both from the region and within the Pakistan franchise, allowing for excellent networking and mentoring opportunities.

To all those following similar footsteps, I would say there can be fewer better ways to kick-start one’s career. Irrespective of academic backgrounds, Citi’s rigorous management trainee program provides an ideal, fast paced platform for all fresh graduates to achieve milestones – I would certainly show the green light to all those heading this way”.

Yasser Malik
Relationship Manager
Cards

“A career at Citi can begin in many ways, through an internship program which translates into a permanent placement, a direct hire or through the MA program.

I joined Citis’ Pakistan business as a Management Associate in the Global Consumer Bank. The program came to my knowledge whilst I was studying in the UK which lead to a challenging and highly competitive interview process. The interviews alone were a realm of experience and learning, I felt as my employment had already begun.

Entering into the corporate world through the sight, scope and vision of an organization as esteemed as Citi was overwhelming due to the global wealth of ideas, thoughts, processes and systems all harmonized under one global umbrella. This allowed for any idea to be applicable, if not to your own environment, to somewhere else within Citis’ global footprint, a satisfaction that your work and efforts will contribute towards the success of the entire organization rather than just the local franchise due to global interaction.

From the start of the program the responsibility installed in you is tantamount; you are treated as a spoke within the business wheel, all working for the same and towards a common goal. Due to rotations that expose you to many areas of the bank, one must ensure an open mind and a high learning curve. The brilliance of the program is the vertical and horizontal interaction amongst different business units meanwhile exposing you to senior management and their.

Assigned projects are challenging and rewarding, allowing an MA to delve deep into systems and processes and develop new methods for existing ones. As per the prestige accorded to the program, interaction with senior management is common place which helps in building relations and learn from the experience and guidance of seasoned executives.

As an MA working for the Cards Business in sales, my advice to all aspirants and successful applicants would be to strive for this opportunity of gaining global knowledge through a single conduit of learning and development.

To sum up, the MA program is the opportunity for one to make a difference”.

Our Programs

Management Trainee Program

The “Management Trainee Program” at Citibank is one of the most exclusive programs offered to talented individuals worldwide. We are committed that high potential graduates are recruited, trained and developed within a best practice framework, which ensures a consistent level of quality across the board

Citibank along with offering a wide scope of learning and development opportunities provides a perspective which is attuned to the global markets as well as catering to the local environment. The Management Trainee program looks to hire fresh talent from local and foreign universities. We make it a point to enhance the skills of our future managers.

The requirements for applying to a Management Trainee program at Citibank are: 

• Masters or four years bachelor’s degree
• Demonstrated track record or initiative and success
• Maximum of one year of experience are also eligible
  
  Each Management Trainee undergoes a comprehensive one year rotation plan, which is further sub-divided into three month rotations in all core business areas. Meaningful projects are assigned and mutually beneficial rotations are structured to determine the core strength of the individual as per the business need. Management Trainees are also assigned with mentors at the start of the program for career counseling and networking. Evaluation is a crucial part of this program as the final placements are based on these rankings.
  
  As part of the program, all Management Trainees are expected to complete specific and regular trainings so as to provide them with a foundation in the banking business.
  
  

  Summer Internship Program

  
  Citibank encourages responsibility at an early stage of your life. The options we offer young students are vast and enriching while maximizing learning within various functions of the business.
  All positions and programs are supplemented with coaching, feedback and on-the-job training. Our programs will help you in evaluating future career possibilities with the world's largest financial services center.
  We offer four to six weeks internship to students enrolled in bachelors or masters program in local and foreign universities.

Summer Diaries

Nazia Abidi
BSC, Economics
LUMS, Pakistan

“Here in Citibank I worked in the global Consumer Group in two different divisions, Credit Cards and Personal Loans. After six weeks of being here, I feel that I was lucky to end up in perhaps one of the most challenging, stimulating and friendly working places in the industry. Not only is the work exciting, learning is an integral part of daily processes here in the Bank. Interns are assigned projects that effect the actual operations of the bank. That is what makes working in Citibank, a wholesome and fulfilling experience”.

Ali Haider Mahomed
2nd Year Economics and Mathematics Major
The University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, Canada.

“My experience at Citibank N.A has been a particularly enjoyable one. Being a Pakistani student from a foreign university, I required a serious summer internship that would teach me the practical side of Banking. I feel Citibank was a wise choice.
Interning at a prestigious, international Bank like Citibank and all that entails with it; the hard work, discipline and commitment has been exceedingly beneficial. By working alongside the Operations, Sales and Marketing department of the Personal Loans and e-banking division, I have been given a profound insight in these divisions. I am very grateful for this experience and highly recommend this internship to those who wish to pursue this field of Banking and Finance”.


Arij Javed
BBA
Institute of Business Administration, Karachi

“Citibank has provided me with an excellent opportunity to enhance my professional skills. The four-week internship allowed me to apply my analytical skills to daily work related challenges. My experience was not only limited to a particular Human Resource function but I have worked for both the training and recruitment sub-departments. I visited a few universities for their career fairs which added value to my understanding of the recruitment process. It gave me a clear insight of how an interviewer interprets an interviewee’s responses and body language. This would provide me with a better orientation for my future interviews. On the whole my learning of the various work-related processes and functions underwent a tremendous change at Citibank”.

Who we are looking for

When we recruit individuals for our Management Trainee Program or summer internship program, we are seeking dynamic, talented individuals who possess self-confidence, tenacity and the ability to initiate, execute and deliver in a high pressure environment
Citibank has a thorough and comprehensive procedure of inducting young talent from all the top tier universities around the world for GCG. Opportunities at Citibank offer a wide scope of learning and development, while providing a perspective which is attuned to the global markets, while simultaneously catering to the local environment.
Having a major in Finance is NOT obligatory; students pursuing majors other than Finance and Accounts are also eligible to apply, as Citibank offers a diverse range of business functions along with a dynamic working environment.

An ideal candidate must possess a combination of these qualities along with a strong will and determination to succeed:

• Integrity
• Passion
• Analytical Ability
• Strong Communication skills
• Building Relationships
• Decision Making
• Influencing & Persuasiveness
• Innovation & Creativity
• Team Leadership
• Focus
• Theoretical knowledge 
  
   

Recruitment Process

The management trainee and summer internship hiring process requires candidates to submit their CV’s and job application forms, which we start accepting in February of each year.

Management Trainee Program:

We short-list those candidates who pass a short, standardized, written test after which there is a process of 3-4 panel interviews and a group discussion with our senior management 

• The first interview is the initial screening interview
• The second round consists of a group discussion amongst the participants
• The third round is the final interview with the group heads                                                                                                                                                 After these rounds, the selected candidates are short-listed for the Management Trainee Program, which entails rotations for one year in all the core business areas (3 months in each department); this enables them to gain a better understanding of the banking sector, and more importantly of Citibank’s various core functions.

Summer Internship Program:

Citibank’s Summer Internship program is one of the most sought after programs at Citibank. The internship period for each individual is between 4-6 weeks. The process is as follows:

• Submit CV’s via e-mail
• Each applicant must submit an internship application form
• Short listing of candidates is done after the initial screening of applicants during a panel interview

Where

• Karachi 
• Lahore 

• Islamabad