How do you stay up to date and informed in your field?
Aside from joining their talent network or connecting with them on social media, the recruiter wants to get a feeling of your passion for your professional field. They'll score this by how actively you stay informed and on top of current trends or developments in your field. How you answer this question may inform them of your active interest, your commercial acumen, and your expertise. This may also inform them of whether you can be trusted to represent their company when interacting with their clients, or whether your colleagues can rely on you as a trusted resource of information.
When answering this question, cite the sources you rely on. In a live interview, expect a follow-up question about any noteworthy articles or topics that have recently piqued your interest. They even recommend on their website that when preparing for your interview, you should "list 2 news/business articles that have interested you in the past 2 weeks. Does the article impact the finance industry? If not, it's worth selecting another article. What is, in your view, the impact of this article on the finance sector? Will it mean anything for the division you're applying to, or for UBS in general? How do you personally think UBS should prepare/respond to the impact/opportunities highlighted by the news article? Describe what you think is the likely impact/opportunities of this news story or article for UBS?"
When scoring your response, they would classify a poor performer as someone who is only "quoting something they have read about, no real reflection on what this means. Fail to provide practical examples of how they have demonstrated commercial thinking. Example fails to showcase their own thoughts/insights on what they have read. Response fails to evidence a genuine interest to develop commercial acumen and expertise." Whereas a top performer's "response demonstrates their interest in current affairs and how they reflect on what this means for us and our clients. Example shows how they apply strong commercial thinking to their experiences (academic studies, interests, volunteering, work experience, etc.). Showcases how they read, reflect and express their own opinions on business news, macro economic trends, etc. Example responses highlight genuine interest in business affairs."
"I regularly read a wide variety of periodicals. The ones I most prefer are Bloomberg and The Economist. One of the biggest pieces of news that I've been following surrounds UBS's strategy to cut costs from its absorption of Credit Suisse. After the company's emergency acquisition of Credit Suisse, their biggest competitor, I was curious how long it would take to boost their earnings to make sure the mammoth deal pays off."
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