Management Associate Program > MBA

Our Programs

Management Associate Program

Citi Markets & Banking’s Asia-Pacific network (excluding Japan) provides a full array of commercial, corporate and investment banking services throughout the region. Our extensive Asian branch network, with specialists and banking professionals who speak the local language, provides local and cross-border solutions and superior technology to our customers. Our Management Associate Program prepares you to take on one of these critical roles in Citi Markets & Banking.

About The Program

The objective of the program is to develop high-potential individuals for leadership roles in the areas of corporate banking, transaction services (Cash, Trade and Securities), sales and trading, risk management, operations and technology and financial control.

Management Associates exhibit strong leadership skills, flexibility and innovative thinking that will help them face the exciting challenges of working for a powerful and diverse financial services institution. At Citi, we have a team-oriented approach that emphasizes knowledge sharing and collaboration. Management Associates entering the Program will not only acquire advanced financial and technical knowledge, but also the leadership and interpersonal skills that will allow them to maximize their potential early and to define their own career.

The Program is 12 - 14 months in duration and includes a combination of classroom and on-the-job training, job assignments, and formal mentoring.

Training & Development

Management Associates attend a regional core developmental program that takes place in Shanghai or Manila. It is a 6-week intensive program that offers a comprehensive foundation of all corporate and investment banking products through a combination of classroom training, group projects and presentations. You will be exposed to the best-in-class product modules to gain essential knowledge and skills as you embark on your career at Citi. 

The six-week core training covers:

• Basic industry skills and knowledge

• Financial statements and accounting

• Risk

• Corporate Banking and Transaction Services products

• Investment Banking and Capital Markets Products

What happens after the program ends?

The Management Associates program concludes in a job placement.

 

Summer Internship Program

The Summer Internship Program provides you with an excellent opportunity to work with us, and to learn more about our organization and our culture. We understand that making a career choice is one of the most important decisions that you have to take, and it is extremely important that you make an informed one. The Program thus helps you get a first-hand experience in areas such as corporate banking, commercial banking, transaction services (cash, trade and securities), sales and trading, risk management, finance, operations, technology, compliance, legal, corporate affairs, and human resources while you are still at university.

Apart from on-the-job training in your host business area, you will join other Summer Interns in an intensive training program that comprises of orientation and induction sessions. These trainings provide you with an overview of our organization and our products. By giving you insight into the different business areas, you will see how those areas work, and the synergies among them.

Throughout the summer, you will also join a series of activities to help develop your people and relationship skills and to build a network of contacts – which would be very useful as you embark on your career in the financial services sector.

You will also develop a professional rapport with your assigned Mentor, who can offer you his or her experience, knowledge, and guidance throughout the summer.

The Summer Internship Program is demanding and your learning curve will be steep. However, you will not be bored and will constantly be faced with new challenges and projects that are of real business impact. The Program also serves as a platform for us to identify outstanding individuals who can make a difference and demonstrate an ability to bring about change in the future. Very often, interns who perform and exceed expectations will be considered and propelled ahead of their peers in the interview process for full time graduate positions.
 

Who we are looking for

We asked our recruiters to describe what makes a good candidate and what specific skills they are looking for:

• Undergraduate / Masters / MBA degree  

• Strong academic performance

• Leadership potential

• Strong planning, project management and quantitative skills

• Results-oriented, with strong initiative and integrity

• Flexibility, adaptability and resilience to work in a challenging environment

• Global mindset

• Commitment to a career in financial services

Recruitment Process

 

Country	Application Deadline(s)	Remarks
China	December 31, 2007	Masters ONLY
Hong Kong	March 31, 2008: Country MA Program March 31, 2008: Operations & Technology MA Program March 31, 2008: Finance MA Program	Tri-lingual candidates preferred: English/ Cantonese/ Mandarin
India	All Year Round: Country MA Program All Year Round: Operations & Technology MA Program
Indonesia	January 31, 2008: Country MA Program (April 2008 intake) July 31, 2008: Country MA Program (September 2008 intake) March 31, 2008: Internship Program (between May 1 and August 31, 2008)	Masters ONLY
Korea	October 19, 2007: Country MA Program (August 2008 intake)	MBAs ONLY
Malaysia	April 30, 2008	Undergraduate With minimum 2 years of work experience, or Masters / MBAs
Philippines	All Year Round
Singapore	September 10, 2008: Country MA Program (2009 Intake) February 29, 2009: Country Summer Program (2009 Intake)
Taiwan	March 31, 2008
Thailand	All Year Round
Vietnam	All Year Round

Please apply early. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

The selection process varies slightly from country to country, but usually consists of a combination of multiple 1-1 interviews, and a final round panel interview or assessment centre. 

Country	Numerical/Verbal Reasoning Test(s)	1-1 Interview(s)      (phone / in person)	Panel Interview(s)	Assessment Centre
China	Y	Y		Y
Hong Kong		Y	Y
India	Y	Y	Y
Indonesia		Y	Y
Korea		Y
Malaysia		Y	Y
Philippines		Y	Y
Singapore	Y	Y	Y	Y
Taiwan		Y	Y
Thailand	Y	Y	Y
Vietnam		Y

 

Our People

Lincu Lincu MBA Accounting & Finance, Seattle University Management Associate

What advice would you offer prospective candidates on transitioning from school to the workplace?

Do not be afraid to try out new things, even though they are not within your job scope. A lot of soft skills are built by learning on the job. No doubt, at times, they can be quite demanding and frustrating, but at the end of the day, if things get done, the satisfaction you get is definitely worth the effort!

If asked about your career at a dinner party, how would you describe it?

Citi is the place if you want to build up your banking career. In my 2 years with Citi, I get ample training and work exposure. People here appreciate new and fresh ideas and so do not be afraid to speak up, especially with what you would like to pursue. After being on rotations for one whole year, I realized my interest lies in sales, especially in treasury products. I expressed my interest to the management and they have been very supportive towards my career path.

What about your career excites you the most - gets you out of bed in the morning?

How the market will open in the morning. Based on the market conditions, I will then advise clients what sort of products are suitable for them. If rates turn in favor of clients, in a way, you will be satisfied that they are happy too.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

Definitely Citi’s international recognition and its pioneer towards promoting new products and technology. Also, Citi strongly advocates staff development. Even during recession times, staff training still continues.

How would you describe your team and the people you work with?

Treasury Jakarta consists of a bunch of work hard & play hard lads. Despite the stressful environment, people here will make every effort to make working as fun as possible. There was this instance where we played a prank on our CSS head by saying that 3 of us are quitting at the same time. Gosh, you should see his worried face early in the morning. He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown before the whole of Treasury surprise him with a birthday cake! He swore that he will not buy in anymore should anyone of us tenders our resignation. Not unless, the person didn’t turn up for work the next day.

How do you apply your degree to what you're doing now?

Being a business major really helps a lot in faster understanding the fundamentals of the workings of our current financial markets. Frankly speaking, a lot of things can be learned on the job itself, especially the soft skill, which also accounts for half of my daily job routines.

What skills have you found to be the most useful in your position?

Definitely patience and multi-tasking skills. In a fast paced environment that requires constant customer interaction, we need to cope with fast changing rates and yet, still maintain our cool with demanding clients.

Ong Shi Wei MBA Strategy, Manchester Business School Vice President

If asked about your career at a dinner party, how would you describe it?

Thus far, it has been an extremely enjoyable ride. I grew up wanting to work for Citi – perhaps it was the brand equity that did it for me. In short, there was NO other organization that I wanted to work for after graduation.

I started out as an intern and was offered the management associate position a year prior to graduation. I have not looked back since.

There will always be opportunities outside the organization that may be tempting. At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, if we want to grow as individuals and have a great career, Citi is the place to be.

Describe the most memorable experience you've ever had at Citi.

Meeting John Reed.

What about your career excites you the most - gets you out of bed in the morning?

To know that I have great bosses that believes in me.
To know that I can make a difference

What skills have you found to be the most useful in your position?

The bank believes in investing in its people for long-term growth, without which the organization cannot continuously innovate. The set of skills were acquired over time – from classroom training to on the job training, empowering the individual to think out of the box. I strongly believe these are fundamental skills that no one can take away regardless of the path one may choose to take in the future.

Hard skills - Credit lending, Legal, Tax, Finance skills.
Soft skills – the Art of Selling and Presenting, EQ

What non-work related activities do you get involved in through Citi (community, mentoring, charity)?

I enjoy the mentoring program tremendously. My constant dialogue with my mentor (previously as an intern and Management Associate) had really helped path the way and provided clarity and direction for me.

With that personal experience, I passionately feel that if one takes the mentorship seriously, we can encourage strong, loyal and mature individuals who make that personal choice to work for Citi – for the love of Citi.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

That would have to be Citi and only Citi. I cannot imagine myself in another organization.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Golf. Citi is not one organization that time watch. The management believes in the contribution of each individual and encourages each employee to pursue their personal interests. Afterall, it is important to have work life balance.