Group Corporate Services (GCS) provides key infrastructure services that support UBS in their activity worldwide. To find out more about what it’s like to work in this dynamic department we spoke to Jason, a recent graduate.
Tell us a bit about your role
I work in the Shared Services team for Group Corporate Services. Whilst Group Corporate Services consists of subject matter experts for different areas (i.e. Real Estate, Services, ONO [outshore, nearshore and offshore] and vendor management), our team provides the services that support those functions, including finance, technology and business management.
These areas include Finance, Technology and business management which is common to them all.
Why did you pick this stream? What makes it distinct?
UBS is always thought of as a bank first and foremost, but these services are essential work for any company.
Working in corporate services at a bank means you get to work with a lot of different people - including external vendors and internal clients - much more so than some other roles within UBS.
What do you enjoy most?
Probably that it’s never the same thing two days in a row. There is such a wide array of functions covered in the shared services department, and our projects touch many different areas, so we work with different teams on a daily basis. I am never bored with my job because every day brings new reasons to stay engaged.
Another aspect of my role that I love is that I was given responsibility early on. There’s no such thing as "work for graduates;" if you want responsibility they will give it to you, along with the support to do a great job.
What sort of projects have you worked on?
UBS is currently building new offices in London, which is a great chance to look at new ways of working. Right now we’re discussing new initiatives such as flexible working and desk sharing, all designed to help people work in different ways and in the way that suits them best.
What surprised you?
I was surprised by the strong team ethos that I found here. Everyone is very close and supportive, and we all focus on doing a good job together. This is partly because our projects are so big that strong teamwork is essential.
What skills would you say are particularly important for working in GCS?
You need to be able to accept that you can't always control things. We work on a lot of long term, large-scale projects, so there will be elements that are out of your hands.
You also need to be strong at organising yourself and good at working in a team. This means communication is really important, whether you’re in a big meeting or just on the phone one-on-one.
What advice would you give to someone applying to GCS?
It is really important to be yourself. I come from an engineering background and it has been really useful. GCS is an area where generalists can really excel so don’t feel you have to sell yourself as something you’re not.
Find out more about UBS careers here.