This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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About You
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The Company
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Everything Else
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
- 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
- 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 5. How well structured was the insight?
- 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
- 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
- 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
- 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
- 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
- 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
- 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
- 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
- 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
About You
Even though it was a virtual insight, plenty of opportunities were given to learn more about the firm and the different business divisions. The insight was kept interactive so it was tailored to our questions and queries about the industry. The interactivity was kept up through occasional brain teasers, quizzes and games and we were encouraged to give feedback and participate in challenging discussions.
Immensely valued - the insight was kept interactive and we felt our thoughts and questions were taken into account always. We managed to hear from 30+ business employees over the 3 days - in a similar virtual insight I took part in at another bank we heard from 3. They clearly spent a lot of time and a lot of attention to detail in organising it.
Not much of the programme was geared around providing us with support during its days, however in terms of guidance around the firm, its divisions and its people it was fantastic. We were given unique insights into representatives' motivations, as well as a guidance into the process for future recruitment - although many of us thought that we were told in a briefing call we would be fast tracked to a final round interview, only to find out on the last day that this was not the case. Didn't really matter though.
In terms of skills we developed, there were only some brief introductions - ie in the Global Banking session we were given a brief introduction to valuation methodologies and in the Fitch Learning session we were given an introduction to financial markets. This will be very useful in the future as this will form the basis of our technical knowledge, but as mentioned previously, it was just a brief introduction.
The Company
The insight was excellently structured - we were given detailed timetables before the programme started, and each of the business divisions and business initiatives were given ample time to give us their insight. We also had plenty of break times - this was great as sessions were fairly intensive and breaks were needed.
The atmosphere was fantastic. Everyone - fellow participants, HR and the business representatives - was extremely friendly and enthusiastic despite the circumstances. It created an amazing atmosphere. Everyone was engaged and willing to interact and this really allowed us to make the best of the situation. I felt welcomed and looked forward to each session :)
I felt that the company invested in us as much as could have been done over the time period given the circumstances. We were encouraged to ask as many questions as possible, received special training from Fitch Learning, and gained unique insights into what life is really like in the industry.
They hosted "Day in the Life of..." sessions where we were told about each business division's typical day, and the typical work a graduate does - we were told a huge range of things such as the opportunities for development, the opportunities for team building outside the office and what there is for lunch :)
Again, it was super helpful in understanding the company culture. UBS is very specific as bulge bracket investment bank in how it separates itself from others. Each session from the business made it clear just how it does this, from the Innovation Lab to the Optimus Foundation. A unique experience.
It was super useful in helping me decide on my future career path. It was one of my first real insights into an investment bank and helped me decide that this is the career for me. We were taken through the lives of graduates all the way to senior roles.
Everything Else
As the programme was virtual this wasn't relevant. However as I recall, UBS were offering to provide accommodation to all participants who lived from outside London, or who had to travel from outside London. I believe they were also prepared to reimburse any travelling expenses and provide some meals to participants.
The opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the firm were very frequent. As mentioned previously we interacted with 30+ business employees of different levels of experience and different teams. Every person was willing to network and connect on LinkedIn, receive emails etc - much better than other springs my peers took part in.
Was virtual so didn't get personalised chats with employees but they were open to connect afterwards.
Yes, one person created their own football team and is given the freedom to take time away to play with them
100% UBS is a fantastic firm and I'd love to work their in the future.
Details
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, Retail Banking, Banking, Data Science
London
April 2020