Finance Division > Analyst

Business Description

What is Citi Finance?

Have you ever stopped to think who controls the finances in a leading financial services company? Citi Finance is responsible for supervising all financial reporting and controls pertaining to the flow of capital into and out of our organization globally.

What services do we provide to our clients?

Citi Finance acts as a strategic partner across all sectors and works closely with many of the global management teams in Markets & Banking, the Global Consumer Group, Global Wealth Management, Citi Alternative Investments, and the Corporate Center. The Citi Finance team encompases a variety of specific functions including Treasury, Strategy, Business Development, Planning & Analysis, Audit & Risk Review, as well as Controllers.
How we're structured?

Citi Finance is part of the support structure for the entire organization. Finance is comprised of five major functions:

Controllers watch the bottom line. They are responsible for producing the firm's financial reports, for ensuring the accuracy of the firm's books and records, maintaining capitalization levels and for meeting regulatory and legal vehicle reporting requirements. "Control" is key to enabling Citi to embark on its many initiatives with the confidence that our financial and regulatory reporting -- which drives all crucial management decisions -- is being completed in a timely and accurate manner.

Treasury is the custodian of Citi’s balance sheet. This group manages the firm’s funding, liquidity and capital and is responsible for maintaining Citi’s relationships with credit rating agencies and with regulators.

Strategy and Planning plays a key support role to the CEOs and CFOs of the various Citi sectors. S&P is comprised of Strategy, Planning & Analysis and Risk Strategy. All three teams work closely together to provide senior management with the tools they need to optimally allocate human, capital and investment resources.

M&A is responsible for proactively identifying opportunities, performing detailed analyses and diligence on acquisition targets, and for making recommendations to Citi's M&A committee and senior business leaders. The group reviews deals based on strategic needs and works across all businesses and functional areas to coordinate the deal process - from signing confidentiality agreements, to competitive analyses, analytics and modeling, valuation support, presentation preparation, submission of bids, and contract negotiations.

Tax is responsible for financial, legal and regulatory tax reporting. This group has a keen understanding of the various sectors across our organization -- including our broker-dealer business, commodities trading, sales and trading and commercial lending -- and identifies tax-planning opportunities for these sectors.

Our Programs

Citi Finance has two programs that you can apply to: 

Full Time Analyst Program

The Finance Analyst (FA) Program involves a two-year commitment to a specific finance function within one of Citi’s sectors. During the two-year program, which commences every July, Analysts receive valuable work experience to help them achieve their career goals. Analysts work closely with finance management teams across numerous sectors and add value to the company through reliable and efficient transaction processing, accurate record keeping, development of financial auditing and controls, drafting of policies and procedures, strategic planning and analysis, and effective management of balance sheets and liquidity. Empowered by employees that share common professional attributes, Citi Finance acts as a strategic partner across all business lines. 

The program begins with five weeks of group training in New York City on finance, accounting and computer training, before being placed into a specific finance group. The training is delivered by a combination of practitioners in the industry: university professors, finance professionals and resident experts in Markets & Banking, the Global Consumer Group, Citi Alternative Investments, Global Wealth Management and the Corporate Center. The curriculum includes a Citi orientation and topics such as Financial Accounting, Finance, Balance Sheet Analysis, Strategy & Planning, Tax, Accounting Policies and technical training.

The Finance Analyst program provides the unique perspective that comes with being cross-sector. After training, Analysts have the opportunity to join a finance team in any one of Citi’s sectors, including Markets & Banking, the Global Consumer Group, Citi Alternative Investments, Global Wealth Management and the Corporate Center.

Upon successful completion of the two years, it is anticipated that Analysts who have excelled in the program will be invited to rotate within Citi Finance, across various sectors, to help broaden their finance skills and knowledge of the organization. Included in this third year rotation are opportunities for potential international assignments. These opportunities may in turn allow for the possibility of promotion to the Management Associate level program and beyond. Success in the Analyst program will likely pave the road for a career at Citi as a Finance professional.

Summer Finance Analyst Program 

The Finance division hosts a 10-week Summer Analyst Program in our New York City office. Summer Analysts have the opportunity to join a finance team in any one of the Citi sectors. This includes Markets & Banking, the Global Consumer Group, Citi Alternative Investments, Global Wealth Management and the Corporate Center.

• Responsibilities vary by assignment, but typically include:
• Prepare and analyze profit and loss statements
• Assist in preparation of balance sheet reports
• Price securities
• Assist in preparation of monthly and quarterly reports
• Assist in preparation of quarterly earnings releases
• Conduct statistical analysis and data testing
• Conduct market share and trend analysis
• Conduct credit analysis 
• Participate in special projects
• Provide support in the quarterly forecast and annual budget process

The Summer Analyst Program also provides opportunities for development, such as:

• Mentor Program
• Teambuilding Activities
• Summer Speaker Series
• Mid and end-of-summer reviews

The Summer Analyst Program begins with two days of intensive classroom training in New York City covering Citi Orientation, Financial Accounting, Finance, Accounting Policies and Technical Training.

Summer Diaries

Ryan Gonska

Week 1 & 2

The first day of training eased the anxiety that many of us might have felt by laying the groundwork for what the rest of our summer would be like. We had a plethora of opportunities to speak with experienced professionals in Finance so as to get a better idea of the type of challenges and opportunities we should expect this summer. After an opening breakfast hosted by two senior managers, a panel of former summer analysts answered any questions we had and provided their own personal advice about the summer program. The second day, we had an Excel training class and a short introduction-level Accounting and Finance class. After two days of training, I feel like I have a good idea of what I need to do in order to have a successful summer.

Living in New York has been a lot of fun so far. My apartment this summer is downtown on Wall Street. It has been a really great location for my commute as I can jump on the subway right outside my apartment and arrive a few-blocks away from the office. If I want to go out for the night, I can walk down the street to a few bars or take a subway or cab uptown. Living in New York is great because everything you need is less than 15 minutes away!

Week 3 & 4 

So far my summer working within the Financial Control group at the Corporate Bank has offered a lot of different opportunities and experiences. On my first day, my manager told me he wanted me to have the best possible experience and he would try to expose me to as many different projects and people as possible. In only 2 weeks I’ve worked on a number of projects with 4 different Analysts and Vice Presidents.

I’ve been surprised by how much value I’ve been able to add to the group. Although a lot of the responsibilities have been relatively small in relation to the projects as a whole, if I supplied incorrect data or information we would never be able to successfully complete our work. It impresses me how important it is to be able to work well with others because a lot of the times I feel as if you’re just one piece of the puzzle.

Having an internship in a formal program provides a great advantage in terms of networking opportunities. The program assigns each intern an Analyst Buddy, and a Junior and Senior Mentor from different finance divisions throughout Citi. It’s a luxury to have the ability to reach outside your group if you have any issues or questions.

Week 5 & 6

A few weeks ago I had my mid-summer review. My manager, the program director, sat down and discussed my performance up to this point. I went into the review a little bit anxious about being critiqued; however, it was actually very helpful. My manager went through all of the positive work I had done and he highlighted some of the things that he thought I needed to work on. I came out of the meeting feeling really happy because it let me know that my work is truly being evaluated. More importantly, if I don’t know what I need to work on I’ll never improve.

Since I’ve started, my manager has slowly given me more responsibility. In the first few weeks he asked me to pull data for him so that it can be used as a larger part of a project. At this point in the summer, he now asks me to pull data, analyze the data, reach out to people in different groups to get their feedback, and to come back to him with the problem resolved. I’ve really appreciated this because its challenged me and has given me a good idea of what a full-time finance analyst does on a regular basis. At the same time, reaching out to people in other groups has also given me a greater understanding of what other groups do and what my group does at a macro level.


Week 7 & 8

All of the interns at Citi have the opportunity to attend the “Distinguished Speaker Series”, which is hosted by Senior Executives and business heads. The speaker’s usually provide an overview of what their business does and then discusses what they believe we should get out of the summer. This past week, Chuck Prince, the CEO of Citi, spoke to our group. It’s amazing to hear so many successful executives talk about their business and what they think you need to do to succeed.

The speaker series has also enabled me to better understand the size of Citi and how many different opportunities exist within the company. Citi has four different business segments – Global Consumer Group, Capital Markets & Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Citi Alternative Investments. My group, the Global Corporate Bank, is in Citi’s Capital Markets and Banking segment along with other businesses like Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, and Global Transaction Services. The CEO of GTS explained to us that his line of business, GTS, is as large as a Fortune 500 company. The fact that this one line of business within Citi could earn so much money speaks volumes about the size of this company!

Week 9 & 10

The summer is coming to a close, but I’m really happy with the opportunities the summer program has presented to me and all of that I’ve been able to accomplish. In a two month period I’ve been able to identify whether or not I would like to spend my career in financial management. I’ve been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses in an office environment and develop great relationships within Citi.

The most memorable part of my summer will most likely be my Final Presentation. I worked on a project, which tested the existing metrics used by our team to forecast monthly revenues and to investigate whether or not there is a better way to estimate those revenues. The project involved a lot of data collection, analysis, and preparation for the presentation. I found this to be the most challenging and the most productive project I worked on all summer. It really tested my analytical abilities and my capacity to present my conclusions. I’m confident that this summer has prepared me for my career.

Who we are looking for

Full Time Analyst 

• Creativity in solving problems
• Hard-working
• Quick-thinking and detail oriented
• Intellectually curious
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Cooperation and a focus in achieving group and client objectives
• All majors are welcome to apply

Summer Analyst

• Rising seniors with distinguished academic achievement, a high level of personal integrity, interest in finance, commitment to excellence, high level of energy, and a strong desire to learn
• All majors welcome to apply
• Minimum GPA 3.0

Recruitment Process

Full Time Analyst

Citi begins the formal full time recruiting process in early September in the form of an on-campus presentation. All students are invited to attend this event to learn more about the culture, sectors and the people at Citi.

Following that, job descriptions are posted through university career centers. After all resumes have been collected, a closed, targeted list of first round interview candidates is compiled.

First round interviews take place on-campus in mid to late September and successful interviewees are invited directly to final round interviews (Super Days) in October. Citi on-campus interviews are typically 30 minutes; Super Days typically consist of four, 30-minute interviews. Offers are extended as soon as possible after the Super Day concludes.

Summer Analyst

Our summer Analyst recruiting begins in January in the form of an on-campus presentation. All students are invited to attend this event to learn more about the culture, the sectors, and the people at Citi.

Following that, job descriptions are posted through university career centers. After all resumes have been collected, a closed, targeted list of first round interview candidates is compiled.

First round interviews take place on-campus in mid to late January and successful interviewees are invited directly to final round interviews (Super Days) in late January to early February. Offers are extended as soon as possible after the Super Day concludes.


The following summarizes the stages of the Analyst recruitment process:

Stage 1: Application is reviewed by Graduate Recruitment and the Business

Stage 2: First round on-campus interview
              One, 30-minute interview

Stage 3: Final round interviews (Super Day)
              Four, 30 minute interviews

Stage 4: Offer extended by Graduate Recruitment team

Please note: Final round interviews (Super Days) take place in the office where the position is located (i.e. if applicant is interviewing for a position in NY, the final round will take place in the NY office).

 

Where

• New York, NY
• Buffalo, NY

Our People

Bryan Bigos BS Rutgers University 2nd Year Financial Analyst

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

Be as organized and independent as you can going into it, while at the same time expecting the unexpected and being prepared to give more time and effort than you ever have before.

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

I enjoy the fact that I’m on the front line as far as funding the firm, more specifically the broker dealer. Every day I get to see the billions of dollars worth of cash flows that need to be accounted for and I’m able to assist in generating the funding required to execute all the profit generating trades and balance sheet positions of the firm.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

Citi’s unparallel size and asset base is what allows it do be such a global powerhouse in the Financial Services industry.

What other groups do you liaise with regularly within the Firm?

I am a member of CMB Treasury, and beyond that I’m in constant contact with the Fixed Income Risk Treasury, Equity Finance, Fixed Income Finance, Short Term Money Market, and Corporate Syndicate Desks, as well as the CFPI Interest Accounting group and Treasury Cash Management in Tampa.

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

Being able to successfully and consistently interact with a large number of people every day has been most useful, since my position requires constant and real time communication between various businesses and their cash flows each day.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In 5 years I hope to be sitting on some type of Fixed Income trading desk, since I have a good amount of exposure to several desks in my current position.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

I enjoy working out, playing almost any sport, and just watching a good movie or TV show.

Sandra Kim-Suk MBA, Columbia Business School, Major, Finance/Media Director

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

Take advantage of the opportunity at hand and ask relevant questions. Look to the senior person in the group for hidden clues (e.g. dress, what time to come in, etc). These small things will make a difference.

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

I would describe my career as a combination of fortunate timing and hard work – I’ve gone from being a media investment banker to managing the capital/interest management group in Treasury – all at Citi – and it has been challenging, interesting, and fun.

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

I am truly challenged by my job. It’s intellectually compelling and complicated – I learn something or meet someone new every day.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

Without a doubt, it’s the people. Throughout the organization, the people I work with are the ones that make this a great place to work.

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

My team is energetic, thoughtful and hard-working. My colleagues are diverse, knowledgeable and experts in their field.

What other groups do you liaise with regularly within the Firm?

Businesses that require funding such as Fixed Income, Equities, and large M&A transactions; other functional groups within Finance including Accounting Policy, Controllers, Planning and Tax; other businesses/groups outside of the CMB but which are part of the Citi family including Global Wealth Management and Corporate (Treasury, Planning, Controllers).

What is the most interesting fact about yourself?

I leave my house at 5:00 each morning to get yelled at by ex-Marine Corps drill sergeants – this is my “bootcamp” workout. By the time I get in the office (around 7), I feel invigorated and feel that I can tackle anything that anyone throws my way.

Liat Kimmel BA - Binghamton University, Biology / Environmental Studies Senior Vice President

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

Have a positive attitude; everything else can be learned on the job. Always be open minded to opportunities…no job is too small.

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

Over the years, my career has taken many turns, most of which I could not have anticipated coming out of school. All my decisions paid off with hard work and an open mind.

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

I work in an ever-changing environment that is challenging and fast paced. I enjoy knowing that every day I will learn something new, big or small. With every new challenge there is the reward of seeing results and the impact on the overall firm.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

Many of the people I’ve worked with have had the opportunity to move within departments, across businesses and around the world. Citi’s global reach offers endless opportunities. The company focuses on people retention and creating opportunities for its employees. Despite its size, I still feel like I work in a small company within my own group. It’s the best of both worlds.

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

The groups that I worked in or have had the opportunity to work with have the same goal in mind…do the right thing. Everyone I come in contact with is bright, hard working and rises to meet any challenge. The diversity of individuals lends to new and bright ideas that get implemented every day.

What other groups do you liaise with regularly within the Firm?

I regularly come into contact with finance teams across the various business and regions. Over the years, I have interacted with Fixed Income, Equities, Global Banking, GTS, Risk, Financial Control, and the Corporate finance team in various aspects.

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

The most important skills that I have transferred from my degree have been problem solving and logical thinking.

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

The most important skill in my position is to be able to work with various individuals on all levels in order to meet the needs of my internal clients. Networking throughout the organization has helped me to do this. In an organization of this size, it is important to know who to go to for assistance when you don’t have the answers.

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

I volunteer as a Mentor for Financial Analysts. I try to share my experiences and give guidance. I also volunteer my time to The Women’s Council, which serves as a catalyst to create opportunities for women to succeed as leaders and to increase retention and promotion of women in leadership roles.

How has Citi supported your career development?

Citi has been extremely supportive of my career. I have been given the opportunity to transfer roles and meet new challenges. Citi has also offered me the opportunity to work from home on a regular, approved basis, in order to achieve a work-life balance.

Allison Kramer BS: Cornell University; Class of 2005 3rd Year Financial Analyst

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

I enjoy the fast-paced atmosphere and the variety in my day-to-day projects. Each day is a surprise.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

I believe Citi’s competitive edge is its strong dedicated workforce, product variety and broad global presence.

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

I work with an enthusiastic and intelligent team. My colleagues are hard workers and are dedicated to doing the best for the firm.

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

Each summer my team spends one day painting murals in a local school through City Year. Also, I have competed on the Citi team in a variety of charity running races in NYC.

Describe your experience in your specific training program.

The finance-training program offered in-depth finance and accounting instruction. For individuals who had taken finance and accounting courses in college, the training reinforced the major concepts. There were some analysts in my program who had never taken finance and accounting. They felt the program prepared them for their jobs.

How did your summer internship help you make the decision to pursue a career at Citi?

During my summer internship I learned about the multitude of opportunities available at Citi. Also, I met great individuals at the firm who really showed an interest in me and the development of my career.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

I like to play tennis and run. Also, I enjoy reading and traveling.

Preston Lewellen Bachelor of Science in Economics (BSE) the Wharton School University of Pennsylvania 3rd Year Financial Analyst

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

Candidates should make sure that they relax and don’t stress too much about the transition. They should maintain a courteous, professional image. Many candidates before them and many after them will make the same transition so it is not beyond their means to fit right in. The objective is to learn as much as possible.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

It is definitely the people. Citi’s global footprint in over 100+ countries is shown through the diversity of its people. Everyone is unique and has had a wide range of experiences in Citi and in their own lives. Citi employees drive Citi’s success. We hire the best, which in turn causes Citi to perform the best.

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

I cannot wish for a better team than what I have had. Each team member has a completely different cultural and academic background. We are not only very productive in the work place, but we are close friends outside of work. We know each others’ families as well as leverage each others’ professional networks.

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

Keeping an open mind, showing a great attitude as well as displaying a hard work ethic every day will carry you through the program.

Describe your experience in your specific training program.

The training program was a time where my analyst class became very close. We learned a lot about ourselves and we have carried the friendships we built during training throughout the rest of our analyst years. Training gave us a lot of business knowledge applicable to any position we may have in our careers.

How did your summer internship help you make the decision to pursue a career at Citi?

The summer is a key time to evaluate where you want your career to go. You learn a lot about yourself and you really get a hands-on feel for a particular industry. You meet a lot of people and you can identify whether you can see yourself working at the firm. For me, the people I met during the summer experience convinced me that Citi was the place that I wanted to be.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

I am a sports fanatic specifically the major sports (football, basketball and baseball). I play basketball casually once a week and watch or attend the games of the major sports playing throughout the year. Other than that, I enjoy traveling on the weekends.

Rosalyn Savarimuthu BS at NYU - Leonard N. Stern School of Business 2nd Year Financial Analyst

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

One of the best pieces of advice that I have ever received is that your first six months are the most important part of your career. These words really ring true once you have surpassed those six months and can see how you and your peers have developed as analysts.

Making a good impression and proving yourself during this time will set a strong foundation for your career ahead. This can include interactions with your team members, the way you dress, and the work that you produce. Being professional and likeable within your group will help make your work experience more pleasant and productive. Dressing professionally conveys that you are serious about your job. I read somewhere that when you are picking out what to wear to work, if it’s something that you would wear on the weekend, err on the side of being careful and don’t wear it to work.

Checking and re-checking your work, as my manager likes to say, is what produces a solid analysis. Unfortunately, not doing any of these things may cause you to stand out in a negative way, so it is important to be mindful of them along your career. And understand that everyone makes mistakes but how you bounce back and deal with them is what matters most.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

I believe that Citi’s competitive edge lies in the opportunities it makes available to employees. Employees are obviously the driving force behind the work that is done at Citi. With the way the industry functions today, more and more people are trying their hand at different parts of business to either keep themselves from getting bored or to maintain a competitive edge. Citi is one of the few firms on the street that allows individuals to easily move within the company. We are constantly being told that if you are looking for a change in career, look no further than right within Citi and I certainly think that this is what will keep employees here and happy.

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

I firmly believe that the people at Citi are the greatest part of my job. In my group, you don’t just come into work to get the job done. You leave at the end of the day with useful advice from colleagues and lasting friendships. There is also a certain work hard, play hard mentality here that allows individuals to put their best foot forward on the job, while also maintaining a balanced life. Everyone is intelligent and hardworking, but also fun.

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

As an analyst, the most useful skills that you can possess include being detail-oriented and being able to produce an analysis quickly and accurately. When you first start out as an analyst, you process data and run reports. As you begin to develop, you start to think about the big picture, ask questions, and even anticipate questions. In other words, you are actually analyzing your output. Eventually, you can get to a point where you are able to offer solutions or suggestions to the work that you have completed. This is how my manager outlined my development as an analyst, and although I am still working on getting to that end point, I think that these qualities outline the skills essential to an analyst starting out, and how those skills develop over time.

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

I am involved in recruiting for NYU but I also like to get involved in our general Finance Analyst Program recruiting, when possible. In addition, I serve as a mentor to summer interns, which is certainly a rewarding experience. I enjoy being able to answer the questions that I, myself, had a few years ago.

With regards to community service, I am a member of NY Cares and was actually referred to them by a fellow Citi employee. I think that this is a great organization to be involved in as someone who wants to give back to the community but can’t make a regular, weekly commitment. NY Cares allows you to sign up for a variety of different events being held at different times, everyday of the week.

Describe your experience in your specific training program.

Training was an experience that I will never forget! We received courses in Computer Skills, Accounting, Finance, as well as an overview of the various groups within Citi. Accounting was perhaps the most memorable, with the famous Cash Kushel enriching our minds with information about the major financial statements in his unique style of teaching. The Computer Skills we learned were also very relevant for on-the-job work that we would be required to do, especially in Excel and PowerPoint. Within my own group, we received training in systems and concepts that would help bring us up to speed on our team’s applications and jargon.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

I enjoy spending time with friends and family the most. Specifically, I like going out to dinner and trying new restaurants, or just staying in and spending quality time with my family. I also enjoy traveling, cooking, running, and attending basketball and baseball games.