Management Associate Program > Undergraduate/Master

Our Programs

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 Diaries

Name:            Patrick Wong
Division:        Conglomerates Division
School:          The University of Hong Kong

 

Weeks 1 & 2

People in office were all very busy yet energetic. I can already feel their passion in their job. We had a 3-day orientation session where each business heads came for a sharing session with all interns, talking about what their departments do and also their experience. This gave me a very good general overview of the organization since Citi is such a huge firm. It was also a great opportunity to talk to the senior management face-to-face.

 

Weeks 3 & 4

I was asked to conduct a research into the petroleum and petrochemical industry in China. The objective was to identify the key players and delineate a competitive map. I had regular meetings with my co-workers and managers and they would share with me what kind of analysis they are looking for. The business head also arranged a lunch gathering with us, inviting all other division heads, in order to let the interns and the managers know more about each other. The lunch was great and the managers were actually very eager to share with us their career stories when they are away from work.

 

Weeks 5 & 6

In addition to the research project, I was also asked to analyze the transaction profile of our corporate clients. The objective was to let our managers understand more about our clients’ product utilization. The project helped me learn more about Citi’s product offerings and also a general understanding of the rationale for clients to use a particular product.
We, as interns, were very close among ourselves and we often shared with each other what our departments do. The orientation session at the beginning has successfully brought the interns from different departments.

We, as interns, were very close among ourselves and we often shared with each other what our departments do. The orientation session at the beginning has successfully brought the interns from different departments.

 

Weeks 7 & 8

I was also asked to attend a client visit in Mainland China. I went with the Relationship Manager to the clients factories and had a meeting with their management. We understood more about the client’s current operation and future development, which allowed us to identify the risks and opportunities.

 

Weeks 9 & 10

My manager gave me a very detailed appraisal on my performance when the internship came to an end. It was a very comprehensive evaluation of my performance in many areas including, organization skills, presentation skills, numerical skills, attention to details, leadership, etc. I received very positive feedback from my manager in general. He also advised me to work on my weaknesses as well.

Students looking for summer opportunities should talk more to the industry practitioners. They have the most up-to-date information about the development of the industry. This will help you a lot in preparing for your interviews.

Who we are looking for

We asked our Management Associate Program 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

We open for applications on September 3, 2007

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	October 31, 2007
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

Joanne Goh BSc in Engineering & Master in Engineering, Cornell University Regional Account Manager

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

The most memorable experience I’ve ever had at Citi was organizing the firm-wide annual dinner in 2005 with two fellow MA’s and being the MC for the event. From making the decision on the theme, to the interview and selection process of the professional event planner, and from designing the shows and entertainment, to menu tasting and gifts selection, the core team was given full independence and discretion. Looking back, the half-year spent on bringing the splendid night together for our 1,500+ staff was in fact a crash-course on decision-making, leadership, teamwork, time management, and interpersonal skills.

 

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

The anticipation of the challenges presented by my clients, and the rewarding feeling of having earned their trust and loyalty. Every client is unique, and so are the requests and expectations; representing Citi in maintaining and nurturing high-profile corporate relationships requires me to constantly look into my work and myself to identify and overcome areas for improvement. Moreover, it is always a joy to work with clients and colleagues from all kinds of culture and background from across the globe.

 

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

One of Citi’s competitive edges is our strong network and presence across the world. When leveraged with the wide range of financial products that we offer, Citi is able to design and offer innovative solutions even to our most demanding clients.

 

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

To me, one of Citi’s greatest assets is its people and culture. I have never met anyone here who would hesitate to offer guidance and advice. Citi’s friendly and helpful culture promotes a supportive environment, where every single staff is treated with respect regardless of their position, experience and background. My team and my business partners are an absolute delight to work with!

 

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

Being part of the regional team, one of my responsibilities is to ensure that the service level provided to my clients across the Asia Pacific region is always in line, and therefore I make sure that I regularly touch base with my local counterparts from countries such as Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.

Being an account manager, it is my duty to understand the needs and concerns of my clients, and to liaise with the appropriate business partners to generate solutions. In other words, I am always consulting and working with various Product Specialists, who may be experts in Custody, Funds Administration, Securities Lending, electronic banking, etc.

Last but not the least, my job will never be so smooth without the cooperation and support of my Operations and Technology partners.

 

How has Citi supported your career development?

Every MA is paired up with a mentor when he/she comes on board. Having been an MA herself, my mentor has offered me much invaluable career and personal advice over the years. In terms of training, on top of the intensive six-week training program offered by the MA program, I have also attended training sessions on Effective Business Writing, Presentation Skills, and Negotiation Skills. Currently, I am taking a course on Business Mandarin, which I hope will help expand my options in China and Taiwan.

 

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

It is wonderful that my job enables me to have a great work-life balance. To unwind a busy day at work, I always enjoy meeting up with a few friends or colleagues for drinks and dinner. My weekends are often dedicated to my family, and I have recently picked up golfing. Once in a while, I will also try to take some days off to travel to different countries, to catch a breath of fresh air outside of Hong Kong’s hectic lifestyle.

 

Patrick Wong BBA Finance, The University of Hong Kong Management Associate

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

I would say the best thing to do is to always have an inquisitive mind. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions whenever you have doubts. Asians tend to hesitate more before speaking up including myself. But you would be amazed by how much more you would learn from others by asking appropriate questions! As a junior, you are expected and also fully entitled to ask!

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

I don’t want to sound too cliché but it is truly the dynamic workplace that gets me excited every morning. After completing my rotations, I have been placed in Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities, working on the sales and structuring desk. Market movements mean opportunities for us to identify new hedging and investment needs for our clients. Since the market keeps moving, there are so many different business opportunities every day. It can be a lot of pressure sometimes but I do find my career very challenging and fulfilling.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

Citi’s global reach distinguishes itself from other financial services firm. Our global presence enables us to share information, knowledge and resources with each other in other parts of the world seamlessly within the organization. This also enables a strong team which is able to serve clients in this increasingly globalized world.

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

My co-workers are proud of what they do in their job. We pride ourselves in the delivery of quality services to our clients. That is why we have high expectations on the quality of the work that we do. And you can expect yourself to be surrounded by highly self-motivated and committed people at Citi.

Describe your experience in your specific training program.

The Management Associate program has allowed me to understand much more about the banking business in general and discover where my interests lie. I undertook intensive rotational attachments in, namely, Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities, Equities, Financial Institutions Division, Financial Control, Credit Risk Management, Transaction Services, etc. These assignments were also valuable opportunities for me to network with people across businesses. Moreover, I also attended 6-week overseas training together with other Management Associates in Asia. It complemented perfectly with my rotational assignments where I was expected to pick things up quickly and apply what I learned during the training.

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

During the summer internship at Citi’s Conglomerates Division in Hong Kong, I worked on a research project for the petroleum industry in China. My co-workers were very eager to share with me their knowledge and experience, and this is of utmost importance when it comes to the career development of a junior personnel. My managers were also very supportive of my personal development. They gave me meaningful projects to work on from which I also learned a lot.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

I love traveling. The most memorable journey was when I spent one month traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Some highlights were: I spent a week in some traditional Mongolian tents with a nomadic family on the vast grassland, learned the Russian poker (and was forced to drink a lot of vodka) on the Russian train and visited the Kremlin in Moscow. I also play on a softball league outside of work and I am a holder of the Performer’s Certificate in Solo Piano of Trinity College London.

Kevin Yeh BA Economics, Amherst College Assistant Vice President

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

I find that the biggest thing is responsibility and accountability. Being responsible for the task at hand and seeing it through to completion is a very important part of my job, or any job for that matter. I’ve seen a handful of bright college students unable to succeed at the next level because they think they can get by with shortcuts and blaming other people for their shortcomings.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?

The vast array of products and services that we offer. I don’t think another financial services company in the world can compete with us in this regard.

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

Smart, cooperative and easy-going. Seeing that most of my day is spent with people at work it’s very important to have a team of people who are not only competent but fun to be around as well.

What outside influences have the most bearing on what you do day to day, and how do they affect you? (e.g., economic news, world markets, company data, etc.)?

Everything. It’s important to be kept up-to-date with everything around us in the world. The more you know the easier it is to get closer to customers on a personal level and this often leads to a closer business relationship as well.

How has Citi supported your career development?

Although Citi is widely heralded for its training program, I feel the best training that I’ve had has been on the job. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had supervisors who are willing to give me opportunities to develop my career through lots of exposure and teaching.