UBS is a Swiss bank, best known for wealth management, with an investment bank that became noticeably bigger when it took over Credit Suisse in 2023. For students that changed two things: a lot of former Credit Suisse bankers are now at UBS, and the combined bank has had to decide how big it wants its investment bank to be.
What the merger means for you
- Fewer total places than two banks used to offer. Two analyst classes became one. I'd expect the intake to be smaller than UBS plus Credit Suisse combined used to be.
- The wealth management side is the centre of the bank. That doesn't stop UBS doing serious M&A, but it's worth knowing when you answer "why UBS?". Mentioning how the investment bank works with the wealth business is a better answer than generic praise.
- If you had a Credit Suisse internship, it still counts. Write it as "Credit Suisse (now UBS)" so a screener knows what it is.
Programmes
| Programme | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring / insight programme | First-years | name and dates |
| Summer internship | Penultimate-years | Main route to a graduate offer |
| Graduate programme | Final-years |
UBS recruits through its global banking, global markets and other divisions. London is the main European hub, with Zurich much more important for the wealth business.
What gets a UBS CV through
The same things as any bulge bracket, done properly:
- Predicted grade on the education line.
- A clear interest in finance. Particularly useful here: anything showing you understand wealth or asset management as well as M&A.
- Languages, if you have them. A Swiss bank with clients across Europe and Asia does notice German, French, Italian or Mandarin at business level. Don't overstate it, because someone may switch languages in the interview.