Chanhassen's Blake Szalapski Selected for Citizens Bank’s Early Career Development Programs

CHANHASSEN, Minn. – Blake Szalapski, 22, of Chanhassen was recently selected by Citizens Bank for its commercial banker Early Career Development Program.

A 2016 graduate of Boston College, where he majored in finance and accounting, Szalapski joins 19 other trainees in the Commercial Bank selected from a highly competitive applicant pool.

Citizens began early career programs in two of its businesses in 2012. The programs have expanded over the years to include six businesses this year and an enterprise-wide component that builds knowledge of Citizens broadly.

“I am really excited to have this opportunity to begin my career in commercial banking with Citizens,” said Szalapski. “Citizens is a great company that is really committed to serving its customers and the Commercial Bank’s Early Career Development Program will enable me to learn not only about the bank’s products and services, but also its approach to delivering great ideas to its customers.”

Citizens’ 12-month Early Career Development Program in Commercial Banking combines intensive classroom instruction with credit analysis writing and two in-depth business line rotations. Citizens selects program participants through campus visits and interviews with students seeking long-term career opportunities in banking. The Early Career Development Programs are open to students with a range of educational backgrounds and majors.

Following the successful completion of the program, graduates are placed in a Citizens Bank business line.

Citizens Commercial Banking also offers a summer internship program to rising seniors. This summer, 23 interns worked across Citizens’ 11-state footprint. Selection for a summer internship position is also highly competitive and the program serves as a feeder for the Early Career Development Programs. Nine of this year’s Commercial Banking trainees, including Szalapski, had previously been summer interns.

Citizens is accepting applications for the 2017-18 Early Career Development Programs until Sept. 28. To learn more, please visit Citizens Early Career Programs website. For more information about Citizens, please go to the Citizens Commercial Banking website.