What is your personal purpose statement?
This is one of several questions aimed at assessing how compatible you are with their company culture. "What inspires us? Our purpose is why we do what we do, our culture is the way we do it. Our strong and inclusive culture is grounded in our three keys to success: our Pillars, Principles, and Behaviors. They determine what we're built on, what we stand for and how we do it." How you answer stands to inform them of how familiar you are with their company, and how aligned you are with their culture, which they define as "the way we achieve our purpose and strategy."
Before your interview, spend some time coming up with a personal purpose statement, and how it aligns with the culture and ecosystem of UBS. You want your personal purpose to be sincere and genuine. Remember, Aon's Psychometric Talent Assessment aims to distinguish generic responses from genuine ones. So, as UBS's recruiters advise, "come prepared." Get a firm understanding of how they define personal purpose, and how a career with UBS would feel fulfilling and would align with and help give you a sense of purpose. "We get it. Interviews can be intimidating (especially when it's on video). We want you to do your best. Stand out in all the right ways. Think about what might be asked in advance. You want to spend your time answering the questions, not thinking them through. It stands out when someone does their homework."
There's a video on UBS's careers site, on their 'Meet Us' page which is titled, "Finding my personal purpose changed my life," and may come up in your live interview. Watch it, and you'll be equipped to speak about it, providing further opportunity to connect with your interviewer, while showcasing a strong work ethic and high standard of performance.
The video features two employees who find their purpose in stepping outside of their comfort zone, assisting a high-impact nonprofit organization that offers higher education to students in developing countries. They were introduced to the "Leader as a Coach" academy, with the goal of strengthening their leadership impact by connecting themselves to their individual purpose, strengthening their self-awareness, and further developing their emotional intelligence. All the while coaching Kenyan young talents.
Not only were they able to enhance their leadership and coaching abilities, but they were able to volunteer for a worthy cause, step outside of their comfort zone, and do so on the job with UBS. By investing in young talent globally, UBS is "reimagining the power of investing. Connecting people for a better world. This is our purpose. This is UBS. At UBS we're reimagining the power of people and capital to create a better world for all of us - a world that's fair. That's sustainable. And that gives everyone the opportunity to thrive. A key part is in making connections: drawing on our global ecosystem of partners, clients and communities to share ideas, bring opportunities to life and make a real impact."
"I'd say that my personal purpose is helping others realize that everything they say and do has an impact. There is great power in every one of our actions and inactions. And, to make a real impact, you have to act with intentionality. So, my purpose is to be ever conscious, and to increase my impact by living with purpose."
You'll want to go into your UBS interview with a comprehensive understanding of their culture and be able to articulate how and why you feel this is the right fit for you. You want to proceed with sincerity. UBS counts on the members of their team to not only have a personal purpose, but to be united in their purpose. They describe their employees as "the power behind our purpose. Purpose is your why. Purpose is where you find meaning. Purpose is the reason you get up in the morning. The experience you have every day. Purpose is our why too. Everything we do starts with our purpose. Our purpose shows up in our actions. These are not just words. It's guiding everything we do, where people and ideas are connected, opportunities are brought to life and where our thought leadership can be impactful."
