What advice would you offer prospective candidates on
transitioning from school to the
workplace?
Negotiating the inflexion on transitioning
from school to workplace is a challenge indeed. The exhilaration of
grabbing the best job on campus is but soon taken over by the
frustration caused by inflated expectations. But whereas the
lead-time to prove one’s worth as a student was only the time
between two quizzes; in a job, to show results takes time. The
whiz- kid on campus would burn the midnight oil to top every
examination, but as an employee his/her performance is dependant on
the dedication and commitment of his/her team. Pacifying this
disconnect requires patience, conformity and motivation driven by
the urge to learn than an urge to perform right away.
What about your career excites you the most - gets you
out of bed in the morning?
Every morning as I put on
my tie, I speculate whether the CFO I’m meeting that day would
prefer a red tie to a grey one. I conjecture whether in speaking to
him I should use the local dialect or otherwise. Given this
ambiguity and vagueness, to gain the confidence of the person I’m
meeting just within thirty minutes of meeting him/ her, excites me.
To learn about business as varied as a forging company to an
e-greetings company enthuse me. To go to a meeting prepared to sell
CMS, and having learnt more about the business, sell derivatives
instead, motivates me. I love the dynamism, the uncertainty, and
the challenge.
What do you consider Citi's competitive
edge?
Citi is a one-stop shop for all the financial
requirement of companies, big or small, anywhere across the globe.
The biggest competitive edge of Citi is its potential to introduce
meaningful financial inventions. Its innovativeness coupled with
robust internal systems/ processes and strict compliance adherence
makes it one of most nimble giants and a righteous market
leader.
What skills have you found to be the most useful in your
position?
Negotiation skills and the power to reason
have been critical to my position.