Hawks Hired highlights the accomplishments of soon to be and recent RWU graduates as they finalize the next steps in their career journeys. Upon his graduation in May 2025, Raphael will be an Associate Financial Analyst with Citizens Bank. Read on to learn more about his next chapter following graduation.
What was your program of study at RWU? Dual Degree in Finance and Spanish
Graduation year? 2025
Where is your next adventure? (Company/School and Role) I will be working with Citizens bank in their corporate office as an associate financial analyst.
What are you most looking forward to in this new role? Being able to explore the financial world first hand.
Who helped you during your job search/graduate school process? Career services helped me prepare for the professional world. They helped me make sure my resume was in the best condition before sending in my application and prior to my interview I was given both advice and a practice interview to feel the most prepared. I also received a lot of support from my trainers within my internship to continue my journey within Citizens.
What advice do you have to students who are in the process of finding a job/going to graduate school? Start applying as early as possible and stay consistent.
How did you land your internship? When looking for internships I was going through multiple banks and financial institutions and looking to see if they had internships available. After exploring positions at Citizen’s Bank, I found a finance internship. After applying, I was prompted to do a recorded interview and a questionnaire. Soon after that I was called for an in person interview where I then was interviewed in two parts and talked to 4 people. Talking to these people, I made sure to be authentic and put my best foot forward. I was then called the next day and told I was given the internship. During my internship, I was told by my trainers they saw a future for me here at citizens and as a result, on the last day of my internship I walked out with an offer for after graduation.
What was the most valuable part of your internship experience? My most valuable part of my internship was my ability to ask questions. From the first day to my last day I was encouraged to ask questions about everything from the job itself, my education, the world of finance, and anything else I felt comfortable asking. Through this act of asking questions I both was able to receive extremely valuable advice but show my interest. I believe this was a big part of why I was asked to come back.
Want to share your next steps with the CCPD? Email Kevin (kdeeb@rwu.edu) in the CCPD to learn more about sharing with us!
