Citi's Service Year Program

“Completing a year of service prior to my work at Citi provided me with the opportunity to give back in a meaningful and effective way to an organization and mission I was passionate about. During my service year, I developed unique leadership, creative thinking, and problem solving skills that I would not have acquired otherwise. These are skills that I now use everyday in my role, and have contributed to my team completing processes more efficiently. In addition, it gave me the confidence to share my passion of service with my colleagues everyday and to find ways to continue to give back.”

“Beginning my career with a service year was such a strong way to develop my values, and personal brand. While I learned skills that I can use every day like utilizing resources and problem solving, my personal growth was exponential last year. This experience helped me define a clear path in what I want to do long term –  a long career at Citi finding ways to bridge the nonprofit and the corporate sectors.”

“Having the opportunity to serve at an organization like Enterprise was a rewarding and meaningful way to start my career. The experience taught me to look at a problem from multiple perspectives before arriving at the best conclusion. I learned about the intersection of the public and private sector and the difficulties that can arise when trying to tackle a major challenge. Upon returning to Citi, I will be better equipped to work collaboratively with my team, push myself outside of my comfort zone, and continue serving in new ways.”

“My service year helped me refine critical management and leadership skills such as building high-performing teams, developing strategy, and creating partnerships. The opportunity to work at ServiceCorps and immerse myself in a nonprofit setting shaped the way I think about the intersection of community development, leadership, and social impact. As I continue my career at Citi, I will build upon my experience to become a more effective team player, leader, and community steward.”

“My service year helped me develop as a teammate and a partner. My current rotation is in Executive Learning & Development, and my stakeholders here couldn’t possibly be more different in terms of background and opportunity. But the lessons that I learned working with my students – how to be patient, how to ask probing questions, how to ensure that others’ viewpoints are being listened to and respected – those easily translate no matter where I’m working.”

“Spending a service year with The Hunger Project enabled me to grow as both a professional and a person. I not only learned more about the nonprofit space and a unique approach to meeting the needs of rural communities facing chronic hunger, but also had the opportunity to take initiative and ownership over tasks essential to the organization. This experience equipped me to integrate into Citi as a confident, adaptable team member from day one.”

“My year of service was a transformative experience. Because of my service year, I am a more complete person. It has shown me many of my professional and character traits that I am endeavoring to improve in a supportive and educational environment. Participating in this program diversified my life experiences and was the best decision I have ever made.”

“Working at a non-profit is an eye-opening and incredible learning experience. I was affected by the life-long dedication of people, such as THP's founder Joan Holmes, to end hunger and poverty in the world, and aspired by the impactful work of the organization. The past six months provided me with fresh perspectives that I would, otherwise, not be able to gain on Wall Street. I was working on a team that aimed to accomplish something greater than individual could reach, and such experience is, no doubt, relatable to my next role at Citi. Lastly, being able to participate in research and conference on innovation in the INGO world is a unique experience, in which I picked up quite a few knowledge on the trend in this sector.”

“I went into my Service Year at Jumpstart For Young Children x NYC Service without any real understanding of what it meant to work at a non-profit. What I ended up taking away from my time there was the importance of community involvement, advocacy, and most importantly, empathy. While the work was engaging and exposed me to an entirely new field, the life lessons from my time serving will stay with me indefinitely and I know that I am a better person for it.”

“I’m so grateful for my Service Year experience. It was an amazing way to start off my career because not only did I get to work for an organization I cared deeply about, but I also gained important problem solving, communication, and leadership skills. I had the opportunity to work with a diverse team and I felt so humbled and inspired by the people around me. Service Year helped me feel confident and well prepared when I started at Citi. It was a tremendous learning experience and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

“Great Oaks taught me about the need for better education in underserved areas around the country. It was amazing to see the passion the administration and teachers had for the students. I had the opportunity to work as a Data Analyst at the Central Office and I loved using my technical skills to serve the community. The skills I acquired helped me to become more adaptable to my environment and I see life from a different perspective now.”

“Service Year gave me the opportunity to give back to a community that has shaped who I am today. From organizing fencing partnerships in schools to provide accessibility to kids in lower income neighborhoods, to organizing weekend youth competitions and fundraising for our military veterans program, I got to meet and serve amazing people who I would not have met otherwise. I not only had the chance to engage deeper with a community that I grew up in, but also to continue pursuing my passion that has brought me all over the world.”

“I really appreciated that my organization included me on multiple cross-functional teams and made me a project lead for some projects, which help me understand what it means to work in a nonprofit sector. It was really fun to have a wide range of responsibility while still having support when my schedule becomes overwhelmed with one specific project. I was a part of the website redesign team, the events team, the development team, and the brand new Alumni Engagement team. The variety of teams I worked with helped me gain a deeper understanding of leadership/management styles and a comfortable work flow. Aside from the technical skills that I learned in my position, I am most grateful for the opportunity to develop personal and professional skills through my work with several leaders at the The Mission Continues.”

“I’m so grateful for my Service Year experience. It was an amazing way to start off my career because not only did I get to work for an organization I cared deeply about, but I also gained important problem solving, communication, and leadership skills. I had the opportunity to work with a diverse team and I felt so humbled and inspired by the people around me. Service Year helped me feel confident and well prepared when I started at Citi. It was a tremendous learning experience and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

“As a member of Transportation Alternatives' marketing and communications team, I spent my Service Year using enterprise software to support the non-profit’s mission to advocate for better bicycling, walking, and public transit for all New Yorkers. In addition to learning how to manage our website and Salesforce CRM database, I also got the opportunity to implement a cloud-based peer-to-peer phone call and text messaging tool, as well as an online petitioning platform. Overall, I saw how powerful software tools can drive immense progress at a small organization. The valuable teamwork and problem solving skills I gained at TA will support me throughout my career.”

“My Service Year was full of experiences that enabled me to grow rapidly as a professional and as a person. I had the opportunity to assist ex-incarcerated folks as they re-entered society and searched for jobs. From this, I learned to adjust my customer service strategy to a new client population and how to build stronger relationships with my clients and team. In prior roles and experiences, I often focused on hard skills, but this year enabled me to develop a lot of the soft skills I was seriously lacking in. When I return to Citi, I will be a more well-rounded worker who can readily take ownership of projects, manage client relationships, work and bond with team members, and tackle anything else that comes with the job.”

“I wanted to participate in the Citi Service Year program because I understood that working at a non-profit or community organization can be such a fulfilling experience. Spending my last year with WHEDco has truly been a journey of growth and transformation, both as a professional and as a person. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to learn from colleagues so driven by their values and to work in community with others towards housing and economic justice in the Bronx.”

“My service year at Reading Partners was such an amazing and unique experience that I'm grateful to have had before beginning my career at Citi. I met many wonderful people who are passionate about getting their students the educational literacy they need to succeed - they helped me put into perspective what it meant to serve. I've also learned a lot about how a non-profit operates and functions, and I improved upon my problem-solving and communication skills when working with my teams, which I will be able to apply when I return to Citi.”

“I will forever be grateful for my Service Year experience at Urban Justice Center. I had the privilege to work with amazing people who passionately fought for social justice while simultaneously creating a fun and supportive workplace. Urban Justice Center gave me the opportunity to be creative, think critically, and build deeper empathy towards marginalized communities. I will return to Citibank with not only a year of professional experience, but also an ignited passion for service. Thank you Service Year for giving me this opportunity to learn and grow!”

“During this past year, I worked at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, MA, a non-profit which serves and provides opportunities for at-risk children and adolescents in Lawrence and the surrounding communities. The invaluable lessons that I will take away from this position are found within the stories that I listened to from students who attended the BGCL. They taught me that character and response to adversity is the most accurate determination of personal growth and ultimate success. I am confident that the skills and  lessons I learned during my service year will carry on with me into my career at Citi and for the rest of my life. I am forever grateful for my experience as a Citi Service Year Fellow.”

“Service Year has taught me what it means to be agile. During my year of taking on many different hats/roles, I learned how to take full ownership of my formal responsibilities and informal capabilities. I tapped into my curiosity and drive to find more ways in which I can be of value to the mission of my organization. I am excited to return to Citi as a more effective and resourceful team player.”

“The experience and wisdom gained while being a part of Service Year will surely serve as a guiding light as I transition back to the corporate world. By volunteering at Reading Partners, I developed my leadership abilities and my professional skill while actively giving back to my community. I will be forever grateful for this experience. ”

“Spending my Service Year at Inclusiv, a Community Development Financial Institution intermediary that advocates for and serves community development credit unions, gave me tremendous opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. Inclusiv works to achieve true financial inclusion and seeks to empower communities and groups who are traditionally underserved or have barriers to accessing financial opportunities. My time working at Inclusiv pushed me to reimagine the financial services industry for the better, a perspective that I will rely on during my career at Citi. ”

“My year with Grand Street Settlement pushed me beyond my comfort level. I ran a financial education youth program, which forced me to assess what effective teaching actually entails, and the necessity to connect with youth to establish a relationship of trust. I never had that degree of ownership or responsibility in my life, and the organizational and interpersonal skills I developed will make me a more effective leader and team member when I get to Citi. I also hope to use my platform at the world’s most global bank to continue to advocate for financial empowerment. ”

“This year has been an incredible experience for me as well as a great opportunity for my personal and professional growth. I am so grateful to have been able to work at an incredible organization like the Urban Justice Center that is filled with kind-hearted, welcoming, and passionate people. As an operations specialist, I was able to learn a lot about how UJC functions as an organization and also about their different social justice initiatives that aimed to help marginalized communities. After completing this year, I am certain that I will continue to participate in non-profit work in the future!”

“My time at WHEDco has allowed me to develop and grow not only professionally but also personally. Throughout my year at WHEDco, the passion and knowledge of my colleagues have inspired me endlessly, and my service year has pushed me to think critically, feel deeply, and communicate effectively. I am so grateful to have had this experience at the start of my career, and I am sure that I will carry the lessons learned with me onwards. ”

“At Transportation Alternatives, I spent my service year working on the non-profit’s marketing and communications team, wearing many different hats during my tenure; when our digital production coordinator left her position, I assumed control of our email marketing platform, Pardot, and formatted and sent over 2.2 million advocacy and fundraising email messages. I was also tasked with overseeing the launch of a new website for TA’s sister organization, Families for Safe Streets. As I look to rejoin Citi in a few short weeks, I feel more confident in my ability to work as a team player who can manage several competing priorities.”

“As an operations associate at Grameen America, I was able to work on exciting projects that made a lasting impact on the organization and within myself.  I helped design new member workshops that were implemented to educate women on how to grow their businesses, maximize their profits, and manage their savings. By creating these workshops for members, I was able to gain valuable skills such as analyzing survey results, being a team player, and how to effectively manage and execute a project. Before my service year program, I wasn’t comfortable with being in charge of a project, but after working at Grameen America I feel more confident and ready to take ownership, so I am extremely grateful to have been a part of this program!”