How to Get a Job at Citibank
Candidates for Citibank jobs must complete a fairly standard interview process used throughout the American financial services sector. Often beginning with phone interviews, the banking institution arranges multiple points of contact with selected applicants in order to make informed hiring decisions. The opening phone interview gives prospective associates the opportunity to explain how previous work experiences relate to the job desired.
Phone Interviews
Interviewees should expect to answer questions like: "Why do you want to work at Citibank over other banks?" and "What makes you a good candidate for this specific position?" Applicants should plan to reserve about 25 minutes for phone interviews.
What to Expect During Interviews Onsite
After conducting the first round of interviews by phone, Citibank hosts additional interview sessions onsite at a local bank branch or another designated location. Later rounds of interviews usually feature panel or 1:1 formats. The major financial institution largely uses in-person interviews to inquire about customer service skills. Hiring managers often want to know how candidates deal with difficult customers or encourage prospective clients to do business with the bank. Applicants may also need to participate in role-playing scenarios to further demonstrate the ability to handle everyday banking situations. Interviews for more advanced careers requiring specialized skills often involve highly technical financial questions in addition to standard behavioral and situational ones.
Way to Prepare
Before embarking on the interview process, job seekers should research the culture of the financial services industry in general, with Citibank in particular. Interview attire should qualify as business-formal and comply with recognized standards of corporate dress. Avoid dramatic colors and eccentric styles in favor of conservative, properly fitted suit or skirt ensembles. Arriving at interviews on time and ready with questions to ask at the end indicates professionalism, while following up within two weeks of the final interview demonstrates sustained interest in the job. Candidates normally finish interviewing with after two to four weeks.
Citibank Financial Analyst Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Citibank Financial Analyst: I worked as a financial analyst. My duties were to reconcile accounts, implement annual systems, review accounts. In the implementation of the system we have to deal with many global customers. We have to do reports, provide a kind of customer service to them and also liaise between the technology department and the operation departments.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Citibank Financial Analyst: Well it was really good. They are really flexible. They offer working from home which is really good. They offer to handle different schedules. For example, from 9 to 5, from 9 to 6. You don’t have to have exact schedule. They are really flexible with the hours and also work from home which is something that many people like.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Citibank Financial Analyst: Well there are two ways especially well many ways but the main is to go through the temp agencies. They hire many people through the temp agencies and then they hire you as a permanent employee. You also can apply through the website but the main way to get a job over there is through the temp agencies. The interview, well it depends on the position but usually you would be a room with two or three person and they will ask really relaxing, they just go around what is your experience, what your background, what is your background in terms of a degree.
Interviewer: What should an applicant wear to the interview?
Citibank Financial Analyst: Professional, it has to be professional.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Citibank Financial Analyst: Keep applying through the temp agency and contact the temp agency by phone, that is important and they give anybody that who want to be hired being contact with the temp agency once a week and show that you are really, really interested in part of the Citi environment.
Guadalupe Cuevas says:
Does Citibank expect new hires or should i say interviewers to know about there financial products or the difference between there checking and savings accounts? I think unless i did some research i wouldn’t know a thing about there financial products, & or the many other financial investment packages they most likely have to offer. I would love to be a part of a growing, knowledgeable, respected, and well known company as is Citibank. I think i can grow within the Banking Industry with there help & coaching i can too be successful as a customer service representative for your company one day.