Whatever I have mentioned so far is usually expected from an organization like Citi. I was intrigued by small but special gestures of people at this ‘Big 4’ firm. The special part was that the values of Citi go beyond its policies and practices, and are ingrained among its people. For those two months, every meeting started with discussion about my well-being. This might seem like a very trivial thing, but that’s what I needed the most back then. Pandemic was bearable when I had an empathetic bunch of people around.
I have always believed that culture, at the end of the day, shouldn’t be like a bubble which is likely to burst every now and then. It should instead act like those raindrops that can seep through every corner of the organization! My time as an intern at this value-driven organization was a testimony to the same belief.
Divya
‘Summers will be the most memorable two months of your MBA!’ I’m sure all of us have heard this or expected this at some point in our MBA life. These were the times of ‘new normal’ which meant my chances of doing an offline internship were pretty slim. But a virtual internship at Citi made up for it, and a lot more! The 2 months were packed with learnings from real live problem statements to reaching tangible deliverables that truly provide a platform for the career we are trying to build.
Imagine having a chance to work on a real-life problem, for an international bank that would potentially impact 1000s of incoming new hires to Citi. I got a chance to work on culture assimilation of new hires who were being onboarded virtually because of the pandemic.
We see something across Citi - the respect people have for each other. By no means is this a hollow statement. The number of people I have reached out to for help during my stint here, (definitely more than the number of humans I’ve interacted with in the lockdown :D) where everyone goes to their lengths to see to it I get the information I need. I've been on calls where I’ve laughed till my stomach hurts. :) Also, this small write-up wouldn't do justice to the COVID-related interventions undertaken by Citi.
My team at Citi was very warm, welcoming, and inclusive in its true sense. I was invited to manager meetings where they were throwing ideas on how to navigate a post-covid world, I had early morning leadership sessions where interns across the world joined in, I had my own fun planning a virtual birthday card for one of my team members, and my team gave me a virtual farewell too!
You see the rainbow-coloured arch in the logo of Citi during Pride Month, 🌈 and your mind goes - this is a place where diversity is a real mantra, and I’m so proud to associate with this organization who stays true to their words and deliver through action.
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