A huge congratulation to Chris Jim who has bagged himself a role at UBS. Being one of our Bright Network Campus Ambassadors, we invited him to our office to ask him about how he found the application process of UBS.
Why did you choose this role? Why did you choose this firm?
I found that UBS has an extremely welcoming and immersive culture, which I found very appealing as I was immediately greeted with a warm welcome upon arrival. All the employees at UBS and the recruiters really valued the opinion of each and every participant in their Spring Week (UBS Talents Lab) and are always willing to answer any of your questions. With its interactive workshops, I got a real feel for the work they do and understood how different business units collaborate together.
What was the most challenging part of the application process?
I thought the main interview was quite challenging as it was one of my first interviews. The rest of the process I found quite easy and straight forward in comparison.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
I was quite surprised by how the whole process was pretty standard and straightforward. They were also very quick to reply to my emails, which is a huge differentiating factor from most other banks.
The employees at UBS responded in detail to every question asked and they did so with a lot of passion, giving a really positive outlook of the culture.
What three top tips would you give your fellow Bright Network members?
- Structure your CV well. Make sure you list your extra-curricular activities especially those revolving around leadership and teamwork. Every experience counts as it shows that you are someone with great initiative and always strive to improve, a trait UBS really values. Smile and be confident, but not overly confident in your interview, and let your passion and personality shine through.
- Research the company. Look at recent news and market updates that concerns UBS and/or the investment banking industry so that you can elaborate further in your interview. Do remember to not just recite the FT’s journalist’s views, but to forge your own opinion and back it up with arguments. When faced with a “recent news story that affect UBS” question do not just talk about generic trends that everybody talks about like Brexit as this will not make you stand out, a better strategy is to look at UBS website as they give important updates about their business and divisions as well as substantial research material worth looking at.
- Apply early to avoid disappointment. Not only do you look keen, but also a lot of companies will have a date when they stop receiving applications but may very well stop before the mentioned date as they receive thousands of CVs.
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
Tell me a recent news story that would affect UBS and the financial industry.
