According to CoinMeta, Citi has announced that it will shorten its analyst training program from three years to two years in order to compete with Wall Street for young talent. According to an internal memo, Citi will promote junior bankers who are currently in their third year of training on January 1, 2026, provided that they meet performance standards. This is especially the case as private equity firms have begun to recruit earlier than usual. David Friedland, the co-head of North American investment banking at Citi, stated that the practice of private equity firms conducting interviews in the early stages of bankers' careers is disappointing. At the same time, Citi is also accelerating the implementation of AI to improve work efficiency and reduce reliance on young talent.