Equities Apprentice Review

I am currently training to be in a sales/ relationship management role for hedge fund clients. I am given tasks by the teams around me in order to increase my knowledge around our client base and what we offer. I have ongoing tasks which are repeated weekly/ monthly and also complete ad hoc tasks.

I have learnt how to use tools such as excel, outlook and also our internal systems. Also developing skills such as time management, meeting deadlines and carrying out tasks to the best of my ability. Personal skills are also developed here at UBS. These skills include being professional and responsible.

I have really enjoyed my programme at UBS so far. One of the main reasons for this is the range of opportunities that you can get involved in such as networking sessions, volunteering and sitting with other teams. The culture at UBS is also what sets it apart. Everyone is so friendly and made me feel so welcome

It is not too structured, which I prefer as it gives me a chance to explore areas and learn as much as I can. I can take on tasks in which I find more interesting. My line manager had some ideas of tasks that she wanted me to get involved in that she believed I could learn from.

The programme is very strong in terms of guidance and support. Each apprentice is assigned with a mentor who they can go to for advice. We are also given a lot of support in the first few weeks, by being given training on how to transition into work and how to stay focused

Fitch learning has been a great provider so far at teaching the IOC course. The online learning portal and questions are useful. We had a kick off session for every exam which went over what to expect in the exam, strategy and briefly over content. A few weeks before the exam we had a 2 day revision course which was very helpful too

It is very relevant to my role in many ways. You simply can't start working in an investment bank without having learnt some knowledge about the financial services industry as a whole. Through my exams I have learnt about regulation and products which I need for my job role

Plenty of networking events are hosted. There is an apprentice networking committee which has hosts events for us to get to know each other. We went to a ping pong event when we first started which was fun. There are also different types of networking events such as the veterans network, diversity and inclusion, womens networking and many others. There are UBS sports teams such as netball too

Yes

There is a great culture here, I never expected everyone to be so friendly and supportive towards me. The opportunities you have at UBS are almost unlimited. Being an apprentice does not hold you back at all. I am very lucky to have started at 18 working in an investment bank.

Put everything on your CV, even if you do not think it is relevant. Apply early, as the spaces go very quickly because the competition is so high. Definitely research the area you are looking into and if there is anything in the current news that might be relevant to it.