This file contains a description of a current Citi employee and description of the employee experience through a set of questions and answers.

Don't rely on other people to teach you everything you need to know, being proactive actually makes life easier for yourself in the long run. My team are great, and are happy to answer all the questions I throw at them, but until you are a bit more experienced in the job, I would advocate writing everything down. The learning curve is steep, so I think to keep up it is important to get organised if you are to progress quickly. People don't mind answering a question once, but when you ask for the third time they might not be so keen!

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In very basic terms, my job is to tell people what shares to buy and sell. I cover the food retail sector so I focus on the Pan-European supermarket stocks, and it is our job to know everything there is to know about them. We try to recognise long-term industry trends, as well as shorter-term trading opportunities, and communicate our ideas to our clients. It’s a job that I think requires just the right combination of analytical work (so you use your academic brain) and client contact (so you need the ability to communicate and build relationships).

]]> I can honestly say the reason I chose Citi was primarily because of the people I met during my internship. My direct team are fantastic to work with, and make every effort to help me learn and get better at my job. The internship and graduate schemes are both awesome fun and give you the opportunity to make friends with people from all over the bank.

]]> Investment research works most closely with the trading floor, as we liaise constantly with our specialist sales teams and other general sales people (who help market our ideas and published work). Within our division, although most sector teams are quite specialized, we also regularly consult other related sectors about issues that might affect our stocks, or ideas that may have read-through to other sectors. 

]]> On a day-to-day basis, the most important things to react to are news headlines related to our stocks, and reported sales and earnings numbers. For instance my sector (Pan Euro Food Retail) is currently subject to lots of speculation of corporate activity, and so headlines regarding the actions/intentions of major shareholders tend to move the share price. It is also important to understand the read-across from one company's news to other stocks. Longer term, trends in more macro measures, such as food inflation, consumer confidence and oil prices etc., also have a bearing on our sector/company views.

]]> One of the great things about joining such a huge firm is the range of "extra curricular" activities it can provide! During my internship I started playing polo with Citi Polo club, and now I play for Citi Netball one lunchtime a week, and Citi mixed hockey after work. Our hockey team recently went to Sheffield to compete in the Corporate Games and we are now unofficially the 13th best corporate hockey team in the UK!

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Before my internship, I had no idea what I wanted to go into long term, and knew very little about the opportunities available within Citi. The internship allowed me to get a proper taste of working life, and a better idea of where my strengths (and weaknesses) lie. I also met a lot of people on my internship who had interned/worked at other banks and they convinced me that Citi was unlike any other bank and was genuinely a friendlier and nicer place to work.

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Name: Amy Crofton

Title: Graduate

Education: MEng Materials, Economics and Management, St Edmund Hall, Oxford.

Program: Investment Research

Level: analyst

Region: Western Europe

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

Don't rely on other people to teach you everything you need to know, being proactive actually makes life easier for yourself in the long run. My team are great, and are happy to answer all the questions I throw at them, but until you are a bit more experienced in the job, I would advocate writing everything down. The learning curve is steep, so I think to keep up it is important to get organised if you are to progress quickly. People don't mind answering a question once, but when you ask for the third time they might not be so keen!

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

 

In very basic terms, my job is to tell people what shares to buy and sell. I cover the food retail sector so I focus on the Pan-European supermarket stocks, and it is our job to know everything there is to know about them. We try to recognise long-term industry trends, as well as shorter-term trading opportunities, and communicate our ideas to our clients. It’s a job that I think requires just the right combination of analytical work (so you use your academic brain) and client contact (so you need the ability to communicate and build relationships).

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

I can honestly say the reason I chose Citi was primarily because of the people I met during my internship. My direct team are fantastic to work with, and make every effort to help me learn and get better at my job. The internship and graduate schemes are both awesome fun and give you the opportunity to make friends with people from all over the bank.

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

Investment research works most closely with the trading floor, as we liaise constantly with our specialist sales teams and other general sales people (who help market our ideas and published work). Within our division, although most sector teams are quite specialized, we also regularly consult other related sectors about issues that might affect our stocks, or ideas that may have read-through to other sectors. 

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.)?

On a day-to-day basis, the most important things to react to are news headlines related to our stocks, and reported sales and earnings numbers. For instance my sector (Pan Euro Food Retail) is currently subject to lots of speculation of corporate activity, and so headlines regarding the actions/intentions of major shareholders tend to move the share price. It is also important to understand the read-across from one company's news to other stocks. Longer term, trends in more macro measures, such as food inflation, consumer confidence and oil prices etc., also have a bearing on our sector/company views.

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

One of the great things about joining such a huge firm is the range of "extra curricular" activities it can provide! During my internship I started playing polo with Citi Polo club, and now I play for Citi Netball one lunchtime a week, and Citi mixed hockey after work. Our hockey team recently went to Sheffield to compete in the Corporate Games and we are now unofficially the 13th best corporate hockey team in the UK!

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

Before my internship, I had no idea what I wanted to go into long term, and knew very little about the opportunities available within Citi. The internship allowed me to get a proper taste of working life, and a better idea of where my strengths (and weaknesses) lie. I also met a lot of people on my internship who had interned/worked at other banks and they convinced me that Citi was unlike any other bank and was genuinely a friendlier and nicer place to work.

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