This file contains a description of a current Citi employee and description of the employee experience through a set of questions and answers. I think developing a sense of self-awareness is instrumental in making the transition from school to work regardless of industry. In addition to this is the passion to learn. Most of what you learn in the work place is learning on-the-job which is entirely different from college; where you’re responsible to something bigger than yourself; where your approach and performance doesn’t just reflect on you as an individual but you as part of a team and as part of an organization.

Ultimately, responsibility and accountability are extensions of self-awareness. So it’s important to know what your strengths are, where your passions lie so that you can find yourself in a job that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.

]]> My career is like peeling off layers of an onion. There’s always something new underneath to learn. Since my career is just beginning, and this is something that excites me. It can be challenging, difficult, frustrating at times. But all the work and effort pays off in terms of the huge sense of achievement I feel at the end of the day. In a nutshell, it is entirely what I was looking for when I stepped onto the Citi floor.

]]> This is a job that allows juniors to take on huge responsibilities. Even as a junior, you directly communicate with Managing Directors and work with people across many different industries. Both the depth and breadth of learning makes you feel productive and like you’ve added value, not just to your task, but to yourself and your skill set. The learning curve in this job is exponential— the idea that I will be able to show the same level of expertise as the third year analysts here is currently unfathomable to me—that’s how fast we learn here.

Also, it’s a great feeling knowing that you’re part of something big, that you helped in the execution of a deal involving a huge amount of capital for a huge brand name.

The adrenaline that surges from all of this is what keeps me on my toes and charges me every morning— even after a night of three hours sleep!

]]> I think Citi’s real competitive edge is it’s extremely diversified business platform as well as its unparalleled presence all over the World. While most of our competitors’ position is very region-dependant, Citi is the one firm that can outdo its competitors not only in North America, but in Asia as well as Europe. I believe this distinguishes Citi as the premier and single truly global financial institution. Also, Citi maximizes synergy from the combination of its commercial/retail banking business and its investment banking business. Our business portfolio is extremely diversified and our balance sheet is strong and huge. Unlike other competitors which have a pure investment banking platform, Citi is a kind of company that can steadily perform given any market situations.

]]> At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. It’s a business where you work hard, you play hard so it’s crucial to like the people that you end up spending late nights in the office with. As a junior, what I can appreciate the most is that once you join the team, that’s how people view you - a team member. And no matter how busy they are, they will make that extra time so that you can learn from them. And it’s absolutely fascinating to be part of a team that translates knowledge, energy and passion into action seamlessly.

People in the team are all extremely professional, intelligent, goal-driven and focused but at the same time, they are people you can and would want to go party with or play golf with. As a team we bond really well starting from the late nights at work, to team dinners and even short mini-breaks outside Hong Kong.

]]> For the most part we work with IBD’s various industry groups. Of them mostly we work with Financial Entrepreneurs Group which covers private equities because most of LevFin deals are Private Equity sponsored. Also, we work with TMT, Industrials and EPC groups. Outside the firm, we work with all the top tier private equity firms such as Blackstone, Carlyle and KKR, prestigious regional law firms, strategic consulting firms and accounting firms as well. I personally enjoy the exceptional exposure to qualified people across these various industries.

]]> Citi HK Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities hire people through the FICC Graduate Trainee Program that provides us with an unique opportunity to rotate through almost every fixed income related business including Credit, Interest rates, FX, Commodities, Sales, DCM, Loan syndication, Securitization and Research. No other firm in the World offers you this comprehensive experience throughout entire job functions from sales/trading to debt/loan origination. Rotating analysts evaluate their potential in each group, their interests and their preference of teams when rotating, while learning about and interacting within the various businesses. Ultimately, we were placed at the end of the program (1 year) given our preference and the business’s need. I personally believe that this program allows you to build a solid understanding of the entire fixed income business as a whole, and develop a network extending to all parts of the business.

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Name: Ian Chung

Title: Analyst

Education: BA Economics, The University of Chicago

Program: Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities

Level: analyst

Region: Greater China

What advice would you offer prospective candidates on transitioning from school to the workplace?: I think developing a sense of self-awareness is instrumental in making the transition from school to work regardless of industry. In addition to this is the passion to learn. Most of what you learn in the work place is learning on-the-job which is entirely different from college; where you’re responsible to something bigger than yourself; where your approach and performance doesn’t just reflect on you as an individual but you as part of a team and as part of an organization.

Ultimately, responsibility and accountability are extensions of self-awareness. So it’s important to know what your strengths are, where your passions lie so that you can find yourself in a job that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.
If asked about your career at a dinner party, how would you describe it?: My career is like peeling off layers of an onion. There’s always something new underneath to learn. Since my career is just beginning, and this is something that excites me. It can be challenging, difficult, frustrating at times. But all the work and effort pays off in terms of the huge sense of achievement I feel at the end of the day. In a nutshell, it is entirely what I was looking for when I stepped onto the Citi floor.
What about your career excites you the most - gets you out of bed in the morning?: This is a job that allows juniors to take on huge responsibilities. Even as a junior, you directly communicate with Managing Directors and work with people across many different industries. Both the depth and breadth of learning makes you feel productive and like you’ve added value, not just to your task, but to yourself and your skill set. The learning curve in this job is exponential— the idea that I will be able to show the same level of expertise as the third year analysts here is currently unfathomable to me—that’s how fast we learn here.

Also, it’s a great feeling knowing that you’re part of something big, that you helped in the execution of a deal involving a huge amount of capital for a huge brand name.

The adrenaline that surges from all of this is what keeps me on my toes and charges me every morning— even after a night of three hours sleep!
What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?: I think Citi’s real competitive edge is it’s extremely diversified business platform as well as its unparalleled presence all over the World. While most of our competitors’ position is very region-dependant, Citi is the one firm that can outdo its competitors not only in North America, but in Asia as well as Europe. I believe this distinguishes Citi as the premier and single truly global financial institution. Also, Citi maximizes synergy from the combination of its commercial/retail banking business and its investment banking business. Our business portfolio is extremely diversified and our balance sheet is strong and huge. Unlike other competitors which have a pure investment banking platform, Citi is a kind of company that can steadily perform given any market situations.
How would you describe your team and the people you work with?: At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. It’s a business where you work hard, you play hard so it’s crucial to like the people that you end up spending late nights in the office with. As a junior, what I can appreciate the most is that once you join the team, that’s how people view you - a team member. And no matter how busy they are, they will make that extra time so that you can learn from them. And it’s absolutely fascinating to be part of a team that translates knowledge, energy and passion into action seamlessly.

People in the team are all extremely professional, intelligent, goal-driven and focused but at the same time, they are people you can and would want to go party with or play golf with. As a team we bond really well starting from the late nights at work, to team dinners and even short mini-breaks outside Hong Kong.
What other groups do you liaise with regularly within the Firm?: For the most part we work with IBD’s various industry groups. Of them mostly we work with Financial Entrepreneurs Group which covers private equities because most of LevFin deals are Private Equity sponsored. Also, we work with TMT, Industrials and EPC groups. Outside the firm, we work with all the top tier private equity firms such as Blackstone, Carlyle and KKR, prestigious regional law firms, strategic consulting firms and accounting firms as well. I personally enjoy the exceptional exposure to qualified people across these various industries.
How has Citi supported your career development?: Citi HK Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities hire people through the FICC Graduate Trainee Program that provides us with an unique opportunity to rotate through almost every fixed income related business including Credit, Interest rates, FX, Commodities, Sales, DCM, Loan syndication, Securitization and Research. No other firm in the World offers you this comprehensive experience throughout entire job functions from sales/trading to debt/loan origination. Rotating analysts evaluate their potential in each group, their interests and their preference of teams when rotating, while learning about and interacting within the various businesses. Ultimately, we were placed at the end of the program (1 year) given our preference and the business’s need. I personally believe that this program allows you to build a solid understanding of the entire fixed income business as a whole, and develop a network extending to all parts of the business.

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