Finance Apprentice Review

I work as a Financial Controller at UBS. Typically each day day I work with a trading desk in Zurich looking and reconciling the Profit or loss they have made on trades as well as performing a number of checks on various ledger controls that are owned by my team.

Since starting my apprenticeship there are so many skills I have developed. As UBS is a global company, I have developed my communication from speaking to a number of colleagues in various countries aswell as performing presentations on calls. I have developed my team working skills by working in several teams of varying size.

There is so much I can get involved in which makes my apprenticeship extremely enjoyable, I am always supported if I want to take on more work or try something completely new. I have also been able to get involved in a number of different initiatives outside of my day-to-day role.

Extremely well organised! I am able to control when I take my courses and exams and I am aware of next steps when looking at what might happen in the future which makes me feel well supported. I am also aware of key contacts I can reach out to if I did have any questions.

Plenty of support! No matter what decisions I make regarding mobility within the company or exams I would like to take I feel I am well supported and my employer always tries to support me with what is best for my development. I am aware of who I can talk to regarding any issues

My training provider are very supportive. They send clear communications which was especially helpful during lockdowns and they regularly inform us of any updates/changes. It is easy to reach out to the training provider and I usually receive a quick response when asking any questions. This makes it very easy to book exams and courses.

My qualification helps me by providing me with a good background knowledge for my role. This would help if I have to investigate discrepancies in my role as I would understand the accounting background that has lead to certain numbers. My qualification will also help me if I want to move teams as it covers a wide range of accountancy topics.

There are so many extra curricular activities. I have been involved in sports teams, even helping to organize a sports tournament. I am part of several committees which look to organize events outside of work aswell as events in work looking at raising awareness of certain hot topics. There is also alot of volunteering work to get involved in including charity work.

Yes

The people! Everyone is willing to help which is so important but especially to an apprentice starting their career. There are also so many extra curricular activities to get involved in which help to develop your network at UBS, meeting so many new people. They are also great supporters of mobility so there is so much opportunity to gain valuable experience.

Take every opportunity that is offered to you! There is so much chance to gain new experiences and meet new people. even if you think something might be out of your comfort zone, you might find you love it! I have meet so many people in various teams within UBS and it is so great to have built a big network.