Online Application
You will be asked to submit your CV and answer various questions based on your education and previous experiences. You will also be asked 3 randomly selected competency questions in the application.
How to respond for success
For your CV, it should ‘in theory’ be a page long for banking roles. Yagiz tried to support his achievements with numbers and %’s to keep things condensed. Yagiz didn’t actually tailor the CV specifically for Citi as most banks expectations are the same.
In the general application and competency questions, he made sure to try and show good commercial awareness, such as info about Citi and the markets, whilst relating the skills shown on his CV to Citi’s values.
Expect a 1-month wait before progressing to the next stage.
HireVue Interview
You will watch a short introductory video explaining the details of how the interview is conducted before being asked questions from a pre-recorded clip. There are 5 to 6 of these pre-recorded questions asked. For each question, you have to prepare an answer and answer within the given time frame.
Example task
These questions tend to focus around core values, and scenarios you may face on an average day in your applied role. Such questions can include: “Why are you best suited to this role?” and “Why Citi?”
How to respond for success
Make sure you dress appropriately, preferably business casual. It may also be helpful to have a pen and paper at the ready to jot down some key words to refer back to your answers if you find yourself getting off track. It is vital you keep as much eye contact with the camera as possible because the assessor will know if you are looking elsewhere.
Expect a 1-month wait before progressing to the next stage.
Assessment Centre
This stage of the application is split into 2 sections, one group exercise (group presentation) and one 1 to 1 interview. The assessment centre will take around 3-4 hours in total. For the 1 to one interview, prepare by improving your market knowledge, following recent deals, recent news and some equities that you are interested in. For the group exercise, try not to turn someone’s idea down and aim to keep track of the time.
Example task
- Tell me about a stock you find interesting?
- Tell me about the recent news that you have read?
- Why Citi?
- Tell me about some valuation methods?
- What is WACC?
- Expect other standard competencies and motivational questions.
How to respond for success
For the 1 to 1 interview, Yagiz found that by having an Introduction speech ready, he was better prepared to talk about his educational background and interests in a more concise manner. Yagiz also felt that by asking the interviewers questions, he was able to stand out. He asked them how they are planning to improve their interns and make them ready for the scheme. He also asked them about their opinions on current news to show a genuine interest in the markets.
