Spring Intern Review

I very much enjoyed the UBS Talents Lab program, with the three day duration being optimal for providing a real insight into all of UBS's divisions, while minimising the number of 'waffly' sections. I particularly enjoyed participating in the workshops, which provided hands on experience via practical and creative activities.

I felt extremely valued during the entirety of the program; one of the first pieces of information that was relayed to us was the number of interns and applicants there were. It was impressed upon us that the program was highly sought after and competitive and that we should be proud to have been chosen.

The amount of guidance and support we received, varied depending on the workshop. For example, the Corporate Client Solutions case study was less intuitive than it was informative with employees working in M&A advising us on how to approach it, while with the trading game, we were very much left to our own devices!

I believe that this program helped to nurture existing skills, not least soft skills such as communication. This was linked to the firm's culture and so skills such as collaboration were consolidated in line with UBS. This was useful as we could tangibly see how the skills were applicable to the workplace.

The program was very well organised by Human Resources, and ran smoothly was expected, having already previously attended some of their previous events. Moreover, we were given a physical copy of the timetable of the days ahead which was very useful when came it to preparation. Overall, it was excellently organised.

The general atmosphere was very conducive to networking with both fellow interns but also the employees who came across as approachable, friendly and down-to-earth. Moreover, although the atmosphere was formal as expected, it was not overtly formal, with plenty of informal moments during the practical workshops, especially the trading game!

The company, UBS, invested a great deal in me with regards to the mock interviews which were held on the very last day of the program. These were extremely useful preparation for the actual interviews held during the assessment centre in the summer. Feedback was given back to us after the program.

To a large extent.

Very much so.

Very useful.

I was fully reimbursed for my travel expenses which namely involved the Underground (tube) and National Rail (train). Overall, it came to £15, and the process was not too bureaucratic, with my having to attach a receipt of travel, i.e. Oyster journey history but also an Expense Reimbursement Claim form in pdf.

Although there were opportunities for informal networking before and after the program schedule, the actual time allotted to formal networking only occurred at the end of the program. The scheduling of this was arguably the one downside to the entire program as it meant that fewer employees remained with some leaving early!

As above.

During the group project which occurred over the three days, I learned of many social engagement projects undertaken by UBS employees including with local schools. I found that altruism and volunteering to be central to the ethos and culture of UBS, which impressed upon me the overall selflessness of workers.

Yes!