Citi

Based in
Job title and business area
Year joined Morgan Stanley
Year attended the International Banking Cycle

 

In October 2024, I was halfway through my Masters in Finance & Investments. I had finished an internship at an M&A boutique and was in my second month of an internship in Private Equity. However, eager to keep learning about the landscape and its opportunities, I chose to participate in the International Banking Cycle (IBC) and find out more about the various Investment Banks in the Netherlands. This decision paid off, providing an internship opportunity and a subsequent job offer from a globally renowned player in Investment Banking.

The IBC gives you the possibility to visit various Investment Banks, together with fellow students whom you will undoubtedly bump into later in your career. From the outside, the Investment Banks seem very similar. They are all large global players, offering advisory services across all industry groups in the Benelux. However, during the IBC, when visiting multiple Investment Banks, you come to notice the differences between them.

During the IBC, there will be presentations where both seniors and juniors explain what it is like to work at the bank and what services are offered, which effectively gives you a sneak peek of what kind of projects you will be working on. One of the key features that sets Citi apart to boutique firms or more local banks, is that Citi offers a full range of Investment Banking products with global reach to the world’s largest private equity firms and multinationals. Besides M&A advisory, this includes advising on and underwriting of IPOs or raising debt & equity through private capital solutions.

However, the most evident, and possibly most important difference between the Investment Banks, is the team. The networking events give you an opportunity to speak with the bankers in a more informal setting. Here you can ask questions through casual conversation about what it is like to work for the bank or their favorite deal, but more importantly, you also have the opportunity to get to know the personality of the team and see if this would be a fit for you.

During my own experience at the IBC, I found that Citi was the best fit for me. I was attracted to the broad range of services the Citi Investment Banking team provides. Also, I was drawn towards the team as I found that they were well-versed and passionate about their work, but also down-to-earth with a sense of humor.

Citi has proven to be the right choice for me during my internship. I have worked on a multitude of projects and pitches. On these projects you get the opportunity to work with sector specialists from London and New York and other region coverage teams together with the Benelux team. This made every day different and allowed me to learn a lot about the various aspects of Investment Banking. Also, the team spends a lot of time teaching you all the skills needed to transition from an intern to an analyst. From day one onwards, you receive significant responsibility, often sharing or taking over tasks from analysts. This makes for an internship where you notice improvement every week, making it an extremely useful period if you strive to pursue a career in Investment Banking. For myself, my internship has confirmed my deep interest in Investment Banking and has granted me the ability to continue working in this sector at Citi.

Overall, the IBC provides a great opportunity to learn more about the major banks in the Netherlands and Investment Banking in general. But not to be forgotten, the banks get to learn more about you as well. Many friends of mine have interviewed and received internship positions after participating in the IBC. This truly is an event in which banks search for new talent to add to their team. My advice would be to participate in as many days as possible to get to know more about Investment Banking and the various teams working here in the Benelux. Good luck!