Spring Intern Review

The Insight programme was thoroughly enjoyable. The selection of activities, workshops, and presentations throughout the week were very informative and it was very useful being able to interact with graduates and senior members of the bank. Working alongside like-minded peers was a highlight of the week, too.

Since the Insights Programme was aimed at providing information and insight into what Investment Banking is like, what its functions are, what the different parts of the bank are etc. there wasn't opportunity to add value to the firm. So in that sense I didn't feel valued but I still had the feeling that UBS wanted to impress us.

During the Insight programme it was not necessary to the Spring Interns guidance or support due to the nature of the week. Nevertheless, interacting and engaging with employees at the bank really gave you an insight into their daily lives and their careers, so in a sense it was possible to receive some sort of guidance towards a potential future career.

The skills I have developed and the information I have received will be of negligible assistance to my degree studies. However learning about Investment Banking and having a clearer understanding will help my future applications to summer internships. Moreover having learnt lots of new information, I feel better assured about the career path I want to take.

The Insights programme was very well structured because every day was always packed with really useful and enjoyable activities and talks. Further, there was never any confusion about where you needed to be and it was always possible to get refreshments or use the toilet. Plus the way the programme was structured meant there was always lots of opportunity to mingle with peers which I enjoyed.

The general atmosphere could not have been better during the Insights programme. Everybody there was very enthusiastic and keen to get involved as well as being really sociable and fun to talk to. Moreover the atmosphere and culture of UBS was very appealing and employees certainly gave out a good feeling.

The Insight programme was perfect in terms of helping to understand the culture of UBS. Throughout the week you are exposed to a variety of employees from all different banking areas and whom are at different points in their career. Therefore you are able to get a very well-rounded sense of what the culture is like.

The content was very helpful in terms of deciding about a future career. Throughout the week a lot of different workshops and presentations gave very good but simple information about the bank's different operations. Moreover, there is the opportunity to work-shadow a particular business area one afternoon which provides invaluable insight into the working life of a specific banking division.

The reimbursement was very good for this programme - up to £100 travel expenses were paid if you were travelling from outside of London (but from in the UK) and then you were housed for a week in a really decent hotel if you didn't have accommodation in London. This was particularly useful since you had the opportunity to socialise with peers staying there also, plus its location was extremely close to their offices, just a 10-15 minute walk or 2 minute tube.

I would certainly recommend this insight to a friend that was interested in the Investment Banking sector. Competition for these Spring Weeks is incredibly tough so it is probably wise to apply to multiple places, but they will all be equally good. I must say my experience at UBS was certainly a fantastic one and I thoroughly enjoyed the week. It's a great addition to the CV and puts you in a stronger position when applying for future summer internships.