Wealth Management UHNW Apprentice Review

On a day to day basis i help clients with the admin side of their portfolio and accounts at UBS. This can be anything from covering overdrawn balances or making payments on their behalf or updating their details on the system, i.e. their email addresses and phone number. We also submit audit requests for third parties who require information for mutual clients as well as create asset transfers if a client wants to transfer their holdings at one bank to us. One task that I do everyday is running background checks on clients and those on their account for annual reviews and when we are opening new accounts.

I have learnt many new skills whilst doing this apprenticeship. The biggest skill i have learnt is learning to talk to different people and adapting my communication method for their needs. For examples with clients it is important to be very clear and accurate when taking instructions or when trying to resolve their issues. With colleagues it is best to minimize use of jargon so that everyone is on the same page when doing a task together. I have also improved by ability to work in a team to meet client expectations. We also had courses with Fitch , such as learning to work under pressure which has also been really helpful and taught me how to manage when stressed.

I enjoy my programme to a large extent. I enjoy the tasks I do as it is interesting and I have contact with clients on a daily basis. My team are also really nice and offer to help me whenever i need it. Everyone is so patient and willing to take to the time to explain tasks with me, even when i ask for things to be repeated. It surpassed my expectations as a programme as i thought it would be really difficult adapting to a 9-5 after coming straight out of school and i was worried about the pressure that would be put on apprentices. However we had a lot of support throughout the process and a large support group from our line manager to our apprentice coordinator to our skills coach. It was fun as we also had a lot of social events that allowed us to network with other apprentices as well as different people in the industry.

It is well structured. We are always told well in advance when our exam dates are, when our revision sessions are and when our external sessions are. This makes it helpful when managing the team's expectations and letting everyone know when we will be out of the office. The induction was well structured and we had a clear plan of how the week would go. Work delegation was also well organised as well as team hierarchy. There was a good understanding from the beginning of how work was going to be organised as well as the tasks that we could and could not do yet.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. We have bi-weekly team meetings with our line manager where we discuss how everyone is getting on and also gives us the chance to raise any concerns that we have identified as a team. Additionally we also have 1-1 meetings with our line manager on a bi-weekly basis where we can discuss personal progress and anything of concern. Our apprentice coordinators are also really helpful when it comes to answering any questions regarding our course as well as organizing sessions for us.

I recieved a lot of support from our training provider when working towards our qualification. We had intensive two day sessions in the lead up the exams and they also gave us direct numbers and emails to use if we had any questions. The resources they provided us with were also really useful such as the mobile app which meant that we could revise the content regardless of where we were e.g. the train.

My qualification helps me to perform better in my role as i have a better understanding of the financial services as a whole and therefore the importance of my tasks. One part that really helps is also knowing about the different regulations as this ensures that i act accordingly as i know what constitutes a financial crime and what doesn't.

There are many extra-curricular activities to get involved in at work. An example is volunteering. UBS offers many opportunities to volunteer at Bridge Academy which is UBS's partner school in the area. You can go and tutor children in maths or english, or be a panel member when they do "dragons den" pitches. In addition to this you can join different societies as UBS that hold different events such as the Cultural Awareness Network.

Yes

The company is good. They offer a lot of support to their employees and there is a lot of room for growth and development. There is also a lot of scope for moving internally and getting a feel for different parts of the bank. They also offer a lot of benefits for employers such as a wellness room and an onsite gym to help with mental and physical health.

When applying to this company it is important to do your research on the bank as a whole but also the sector of the bank you are applying to. Make sure you know what they do and also the hierarchy. I would also recommend keeping up with the news and most importantly being honest during the interview.