HR Summer Analyst Review

As a Human Resources Summer Analyst within Citi's Early Careers Apprenticeship and Engagement Team, I supported initiatives focused on attracting, developing, and engaging early career talent across the organisation. My role combined HR analytics, programme management, internal communications, and market research, giving me exposure to multiple areas of the employee lifecycle.
On a day-to-day basis, I collaborated with stakeholders across Belfast, London, New York and Kentucky to produce the team's monthly global newsletter, highlighting programme updates, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and employee success stories. I also worked on a major apprenticeship analytics project, where I cleansed and consolidated historical apprenticeship data from 2018-2026 and helped develop an Excel dashboard that tracked programme completion rates, qualification outcomes, and employee career progression.
In addition, I conducted competitor and market research on early careers and insight programmes across investment banks, consulting firms, and professional services organisations, presenting recommendations to support Citi's talent attraction strategy. I also assisted with programme delivery activities, including creating participant resources for the Social Mobility Insight Programme, supporting recruitment interviews, coordinating event logistics, and engaging with both internal and external stakeholders.
Overall, the role enabled me to develop strong analytical, communication, stakeholder management, and project coordination skills while contributing to initiatives that support Citi's early careers talent pipeline.

Yes. I was trusted to take ownership of several projects that supported Citi's Early Careers strategy. My responsibilities included managing the team's global newsletter, building and cleansing datasets for an apprenticeship analytics dashboard covering 2018-2026 data, conducting market research on competitor insight programmes, and supporting the delivery of Social Mobility and Apprenticeship initiatives. I regularly engaged with stakeholders across multiple Citi locations, external education providers, and employees to gather information and deliver projects that continue to be used by the team. This level of responsibility allowed me to contribute meaningful work rather than simply observe operations.

Yes, I developed both new and existing skills throughout my internship at Citi.
One of the biggest areas of growth was my data analysis skills. While I had previously used Excel, this internship gave me hands-on experience working with large, complex datasets. As part of an apprenticeship analytics project, I carried out extensive data cleansing, consolidated multiple data sources into a master tracker, and used functions such as VLOOKUP to analyse apprentice outcomes and career progression. This significantly improved my attention to detail and confidence in handling data.
I also strengthened my stakeholder management and communication skills. To complete the apprenticeship dashboard, I regularly engaged with external education providers, including Belfast Met and Ulster University, as well as current Citi employees, to gather missing information and validate data. This taught me how to communicate professionally with a range of stakeholders and build relationships to achieve project objectives.
In addition, I developed my research and presentation skills through a competitor benchmarking project focused on early careers programmes. By analysing insight programmes across investment banks, consulting firms and other organisations, I learned how to turn research into practical recommendations and present findings to colleagues and senior team members.
Finally, managing the team's global newsletter improved my written communication skills. I coordinated contributions from colleagues across multiple locations and authored articles on topics including diversity and inclusion, Citi's Military Officer Leadership Programme, and my internship experience. This helped me adapt my writing style for different audiences and communicate information in an engaging and professional manner.
Overall, the internship strengthened my analytical, communication, stakeholder management, research, and project management skills, while giving me valuable exposure to the early careers and talent development space.

I felt extremely well supported throughout my internship. My line manager held twice-weekly check-ins with me, and I also met weekly with a Senior HR Business Partner mentor who provided career guidance and insight into different areas of HR. In addition, I had a dedicated buddy within the team and regular support from colleagues across Citi's global locations.
Through introductions from my manager and team members, I was able to network with professionals across various HR functions and business areas, which helped me better understand potential career paths. Although I was given ownership of several key projects, I always felt supported and encouraged, which enabled me to develop both professionally and personally over the course of the internship.

I would describe the culture as welcoming, supportive, and genuinely people-focused. As an intern, I never felt like I was "just an intern"; I was trusted with meaningful work while also receiving plenty of guidance and encouragement from my manager and colleagues.
What stood out most was how willing people were to help. Whether it was colleagues in Belfast, London, New York, Kentucky, or India, people regularly checked in, shared advice, and made time for conversations. The team created an environment where asking questions was encouraged, which made it much easier to learn and build confidence.
I was also able to see Citi's commitment to inclusion in practice through its employee networks and early careers programmes. This created a very positive atmosphere where people were encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work.
Overall, it was a collaborative and supportive environment that balanced high performance with a genuine investment in employee development and wellbeing.

I absolutely loved my internship and genuinely looked forward to coming to work each day. The experience challenged me, gave me exposure to projects that had real impact, and allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the team rather than simply observe.
I particularly enjoyed the variety of work. One day I could be analysing apprenticeship data and building dashboards, while another day I could be interviewing programme participants, writing newsletter articles, supporting recruitment activities, or researching competitor programmes. This variety kept the role engaging and helped me develop a broad range of skills.
What made the experience especially enjoyable was the people. I felt incredibly supported by my manager, mentor, buddy, and wider team, and I was fortunate to build relationships with colleagues across different locations and areas of the business. The culture was welcoming, collaborative, and genuinely invested in helping interns learn and succeed.
Overall, the internship was one of the most rewarding experiences of my university journey so far, and it has given me a much stronger understanding of both HR and my own career aspirations.

Yes