Background: B.Tech, Information Technology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal MBA, International Business, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi
Hobbies: Football, Manchester United Fan Formula1, Ferrari Fan Playing Piano and a Home Barista
How did you prepare for this role?
Reading newspaper daily, the Live Mint used to be part of my breakfast and that subconsciously prepared me for the industry. When I was applying for Citibank, I was surprised when I read the JD and understood the technicalities of it and that was primarily because of reading newspaper and reading about Banking as an industry.
Reading finance compendiums prepared me for some basic questions that came my way.
Apart from that, it is very important to know what you are good at and what is it that you bring to the table which is different from all the other candidates applying and even more important is communicating the same in a comprehendible manner to the interviewer.
The process of preparing for the summer internship definitely helped as well and apart from all this, I just went with the feeling that this internship opportunity was mine to take and the only thing that could take it away from me was if I didn't deliver 100 percent.
Your selection process experience for this company:
The process was very standard, just as any company coming to a top institute like IIFT. A GD round was followed by the PI round, but what differentiated it was the way it was moderated. The GD topics were extremely relevant to the industry and the time through which the economy was going through, and the same translated in the PI as well, as the questions asked to me were polling my interest in digitisation, problem solving and in general my attitude towards work.
My interview did not really feel like an interview but more of a conversation and the interviewers made sure that the gave enough time and space to me to answer questions.
Your overall experience during the internship:
The internship being virtual was something that I had not anticipated when I was selected, but the way Citibank revamped the entire program and customised to make it relevant to a COVID struck world was very impressive. I had access to every resource that I needed for my internship. Working in a bank can be tricky as there are a lot of rules and regulations and yet somehow Citibank made sure that this experience did not face any obstacles owing to those rules. I had access to very senior managers and VPs in the company and they helped me each and every day with the smallest of my doubts. This is the culture at Citibank, the help is available, all you need to do is ask.
We had periodic interactions with CXOs and other mentorship sessions, we had Fun Fridays to interact with co interns from other colleges. When you are working from home you miss out on bumping into each other and a lot of discussions over coffee and breaks but that was more than compensated by these informal sessions that were conducted periodically.
I guess owing to these small things that Citi received the 'Best Internship Programme' this year in the US market.
Technical skills used:
The following technical skills came in very handy to me during my internship:
- Market Research- for framing the questionnaire and doing consumer research as the consumer preferences were changing during the lockdown.
- Financial Modelling- for estimating the costs and benefits of the campaign and strategy suggested in the final report.
- Financial Instruments Acumen- It's important to know a little bit about the products that the banks have in order to properly understand the consumer journey.
- Marketing Management
- MS Excel- use of Data Tables, and other financial and statistical tools
Factors which you think got you the PPO:
It is very important to make yourself visible and even more when you are working from home. It's important that your manager and your mentors are aware of the work you are doing and also of the progress of the work.
I used to make it a point to interact not only with my team but also people outside my team, I would email them, take an appointment and just discuss my work, ask them about their work and we would exchange ideas. I think this definitely played a part apart from my final submission and report obviously.
Creating a network and making sure that you take honest interest in the work of the company and the sessions that are conducted, never goes unnoticed.
How has IIFT helped you in this internship?
I am extremely thankful to IIFT for facilitating the process where I had this opportunity to apply for this company and the role. The constant mentoring from seniors, the placement committee, the preparation committee, a lot of people are responsible for my selection.
The resources made available to the students and the help available from seniors really helps along the way, and to be able to get first hand experience from seniors and alumni who have worked in this company before just adds so much value to the preparation and puts you on the right track.
The environment of preparation for summer internship in this college is given a lot of emphasis and when that is rewarded the credit for it should go to each and every person involved in the process. My friends and seniors, have seen me go through days when believing in myself seemed a little tough and they were there to reinstill that confidence.
Anything else? :)
I was placed on my birthday, and this just made the day so much more special, and this year I got the PPO just a day after my birthday. I like to think that it was a coincidence but it was a really happy coincidence. A gift that cannot be matched, so I am really thankful to Citi for making it so special even though it wasn't planned.
EVOLVE SERIES by Media Committee, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
Through this interview series, we strive to exhibit what it takes to excel at the rich internship roles offered by through IIFT. We hope this series would be extremely useful for aspirants and also to all students to envisage a right headstart into their SIP!
Till next time! :)
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