Guides / City guides / Zurich
Break into banking in Zurich.
Zurich is built around UBS and wealth management, with smaller investment banking teams than London. German helps, and taxes are lower than in most hubs.
The Zurich recruiting year.
Zurich hires through internships and graduate programmes, mostly at UBS and international banks.
- During your studies
Internships
Many students do internships of several months, often alongside a master’s.
What to do: Target UBS, private banks and international banks’ Zurich offices.
- Autumn
Graduate programme applications
Large banks recruit graduate programmes ahead of the following year.
What to do: Apply early in the cycle.
- Interviews
Technical and fit interviews
Expect questions on markets, valuation and wealth management.
What to do: Prepare in English, and in German if you can.
- Ongoing
Wealth and asset management
Zurich’s biggest employers are in wealth and asset management.
What to do: Consider these routes as well as investment banking.
- After graduating
Graduate start
Graduate programmes usually start in the summer or autumn.
What to do: Keep your internship contacts warm.
Typical windows only. Check each bank’s careers site for exact dates.
Ways in.
Internships
The main route into Swiss banks.
Graduate programmes
Rotational and divisional programmes at large banks.
Wealth and asset management
Zurich’s largest areas of finance hiring.
Who hires in Zurich.
Geneva is the other major Swiss centre and is French-speaking.
| Tier | Examples | Why apply |
|---|---|---|
| UBS | UBS | Switzerland’s global bank, combined with Credit Suisse since 2023. |
| Private banks | Julius Baer, Vontobel, Pictet, Lombard Odier | Wealth management specialists, some based in Geneva. |
| International banks | Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Citi | Smaller Zurich teams covering Swiss clients. |
Zurich is a smaller IB market than London. Many people combine Swiss coverage with a London-based team, or build careers in wealth management.
Are you Zurich-ready?
Tick what you’ve done. Be honest: interviewers will find out.
The Zurich selection process.
- Online application, CV, cover letter and transcripts.
- Online tests, at some banks.
- Interviews, technical and fit.
- Final round, with senior bankers.
Visas and work rights.
EU/EFTA citizens can usually work in Switzerland under the free movement agreement. Non-EU candidates face quotas and need employer sponsorship.
Check current rules with the State Secretariat for Migration.
Test yourself: Zurich
Questions from the Mandate app. Try each before you open it.
Swiss financial markets are supervised by…
FINMA. The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.
Switzerland’s main stock exchange is…
SIX Swiss Exchange. The SMI is its blue-chip index.
In 2023, UBS took over which Swiss bank?
Credit Suisse. It was a government-brokered rescue deal.
Switzerland’s financial sector is especially known for…
Wealth and private banking. Zurich and Geneva are major private banking centres.
Get ready before applications open.
Mandate’s Zurich add-on and asset management units cover Swiss banking and wealth management, with daily drills.