youbs Flashcards
(11 cards)
Why do you want to work at UBS
-Unparalleled opportunity to work at a top Investment Bank that cares deeply for its employees.
-32nd Largest ITW (assets) & in every major financial centre
-Differentiates by focus on blockchain tech & is main bank for approx 1/2 world Bn’aires
-Strong IB div - generated 8th largest fees in Q2 of this year which shows the hi quality work consistently done by staff - Ambitious student so want to work where theres high expectations what will drive me 2 improve.
-Spoke to Ashutosh, described culture as v.hardworking and nurturing. AAt firm for 10+ years bc of satisfacction w numeration and encouraged me to join
-UBS focus on employee retention, Most banks have avg tenures of 2-4 years (IB is tough), but UBS have retention of 8.5 years so staff are satisfied with employment terms.
-Overall, (proven ability to stand out/ by working I will learn form the best and develop/stability in role) therefor it satisfies all the needs I would want from work
WHy IB
-Strong Interest in Financial Markets, enjoy studying how firms evolve & work will need me to use dis & think analytically ab direction of market etc esp. when valuing company.
-Already passionate about financial markets so, I know Id enjoy the work and will want to become as proficient as I can.
-Intensive nature v. appealing. V. organised and enjoy working to tight deadlines and immersing in work. IB neds 100% attention bc of the significance of the work to the clients and the combo of working on tough tasks and long hours will allow me to devote myself to other work.
-Work often involves 80+ hours/ week which is 80+ hours of contact time and opportunity to learn, I ‘ll learn loads and develop faster. Some see it as negative, but, Malcolm Gladwell -10,000 hours of practice to master something and I will reach it faster in IB than working in other roles.
-I am a hardworker and very willing to lean and I applied to this role because I feel like I will be able to utilise all my strengths by working in this industry
Walk me through your resume
[Education & Passion]
Final-year Business Accounting student at the University of Manchester
Passion for Investment Banking; top grades throughout school
[Early Interest in Finance]
Influenced by father’s discussions on economics and finance
[University Experience]
Chose accounting for finance foundation
Secured three internships:
The Nutritionist: Accounting role, financial modeling experience
[PwC Internship]
Worked in Audit; gained corporate skills
Desired more analytical work, leading to focus on Investment Banking
[M&A Exposure]
Took M&A courses; interned at sell-side M&A shop
Worked on valuation models, gained deal-making insights
[Extracurricular Activities]
Compete in track and field; captain of team
Volunteer youth leader at church, teaching and mentoring
[Personal Traits]
Thrive in challenges; highly coachable
Eager to join Investment Banking; confident in skills
What is your understanding of this role and the work you will be doing?
- Global Banking = Coverage, & Product Teams.
-Coverage covers sectors i.e Metals and Mining. Bankers advise on all deals types i.e IPO and M&A and at all stages of the deal process from orig to Advisory
-Product teams focus on specific Banking services instead.
-Advisory focuses on M&A. UBS specialises in sell-side so help companies sell their business or divisions in their business. Find the best buyer, forecast the impact of sale on acquirer and negotiate to sell at highest price.
-Under Capital Markets are DCM and ECM. DCM specialises in Investment Grade Debt, analysing Debt Markets & executing and identifying financing opportunities. These could be things like trading corporate bonds and government bonds.
-ECM concerns raising capital through equity Issuances like IPOs and secondary offerings. They help companies identify opportunities to raise capital by selling shares and executing equity transactions on their behalf.
-The financing group, or lev fin team deals with higher yield debt issuances. These are lower priority than DCM issuances and have higher yields due to the increased risk of default. Similarly, the Leveraged FInance teams identify and execute financing opportunities and the proceeds are usually used to fund large acquisitions such as leveraged uyouts
TMAT - Worked in a team?
-Intro : my ability to be team player is one of my greatest strengths and over my life, have been part of various teams. i.e 6th-form rugby team, athletics team, other teams at Uni etc. and have picked up skills in facilitating teamwork and building collaborative environm.
- S: One of my courses last year, randomly assigned groups and told we had to present a PPT on a topic covered in the module for the final exam.
-T: Large proportion of grade (20 cred.) so I wanted to do well and I realised that to do this, we would need close collaboration throughout creation to ensure homogeneity and that info isn’t repeated.
- A: As we were all strangers, I immediately reached out to group members on emails and arranged face to face meetings. Furthermore, I started reserving rooms ins the library where we would meet every 3 days to allow us to have a common place to practice, review and ensure we had a shared vision
-R: Ended up being v. useful for team and our presentation was outstanding and scored top marks. I learned the importance of having open channels of communication & f2f meetings in ensuring collaboration as all members will be able to take accountability for the work and ensure that everyone is working to the same common objective
TMAT - Encountered Difficult Situation / Setback
-Intro : Spent whole life competing in T&F, so I have had a lot of tough situations i.e - injuries, poor race conditions, disappointing performances etc. Developed philosophy of learning from mistakes and failures and focussing to put myself in situations where it doesn’t happen again.
-S: Few years ago, competing at peak and sustained injury that severely limited my ability to train and compete. Had always loved the sport and had high hopes for competing at the top level so this was a massive blow to me.
-T: However, instead of dwelling on the negative aspect, I decided instead to focus my attention on recovery and improvement.
-A : Used this time to study for coaching badges, which helped me understand the reasons behind injury. Worked closely with coaches, committed to rehabilitation efforts and used my downtime to build mental resilience.
-R : Through dedicated efforts, I was able to rebuild my strength and have since returned to training regularly. Luckily I haven’t experienced an injury of that nature since. While I am still working to regain my previous levels of performance, this experience taught me to take a bigger-picture outlook on a lot of situations. First, T&F is still a major passion of mine, but bc of this setback, I have the opportunity to focus on other aspirations - i.e becoming a successful Investment Banker. Time competing taught me discipline and determination and this fuels my motivation to achieve this aspiration and I am confident that if I demonstrate the same level of commitment, I will be able to succeed in my aspirations
TMAT - DIsplayed Leadership
-Intro : Team Captain at Local Athletics Club, so often lead group training sessions and handle disputes in the group. This requires me to often use my leadership skills to find democratic solutions to issues.
-S : For example, last year, I missed a session due to University commitments and received a message from the coach that there had been altercation between two athletes - one of which was new and the other been at the club for a while
-T : Quickly realised that if the situation wasn’t addressed, the new athlete might become isolated and it could affect team dynamics
-A : I decided to tackle the issue immediately to prevent it from escalating any further. During the next training session, spoke to each athlete individually (not disrupt session) and gained an understanding of both sides of the dispute. It became clear that it stemmed from a very minor misunderstanding and both athletes were very wiling to move on from the situation
-R : I brought them both together and they reconciled, preventing lasting tension. This taught me that leadership is about identifying potential problems in a team and addressing them before they grow. By stepping in promptly I helped maintain team cohesion and since there have been no similar issues within the group.
Walk me through the 3 Financial Statements
Assuming 30% Tax rate, what ahppens to the financial statements when there is a £120 increase in depreciation
“Strengths”. i.e what skills/strengths do you bring to this role/do you think are important to be successful
Ability to work long hours: Competing in track and field taught me dedication and resilience, which will help in a demanding environment like UBS.
High standards: Consistently achieved top grades, which has built my confidence in being a top performer and maintaining high-quality work.
Intrinsic motivation: My drive comes from witnessing my parents’ struggles as economic migrants, making me humble, coachable, and focused on constant improvement.
Weaknesses
High standards: Drive me to put in maximum effort.
Weakness: Can push too hard, leading to negative consequences.
Example: Ignored joint pain while training in track and field, resulting in a significant injury.
Lesson learned: I now balance my drive with self-care and take a measured approach.
