Why is sentiment on UBS here so negative? Are there really no positives?
Been browsing a lot of UBS threads on here and honestly I’m a little surprised by how negative the sentiment is.
Obviously it’s not GS/JPM/MS level, but are there seriously no positives to being in a BB investment bank seats? My outside-in impression was always that UBS has some pretty solid groups, a better culture than a lot of peers, and is also legitimately less sweaty than a lot of banks people on here romanticize for no reason.
What am I missing? Is the hate mostly about exits / comp / league tables, or is there something actually bad about working there?
A lot of it seems to be engagement bait and 2-3 people posting the same things repeatedly. Check any comment on the most recent unionization post. Both positive and negative comments alike all receive 20+ sbs regardless of the content of the message. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was botted or mass upvoted by one person with several alt accounts.
It’s also the same exact comments every time and it’s extremely repetitive lol. Post about cataclysmic downfall of UBS. Insert joke from Analyst - 2 - IB about not staying for the rest of analyst stint. Insert comment about “Becoming #6 in the US”. Insert AI generated graphic with 11 Madison office in background, or joke about Marco Valla. There is no way it’s not the same guy and he’s been posting the same punchlines since May of last year, lol. Media coverage of this downright troll content is only adding fuel to the fire
Rumored to be one of the worst revenue per MD banks. This leads to excess pitches and throw away work.
Many MDs on guarantees just coasting which hurts the entire franchise.
A fraction of the MDs are generating a majority of the fees. The rest are either 1) junior MDs who don’t have relationships to originate yet 2) older MDs clipping checks, maybe they do a financing or something here and there 3) ex-Barclays MDs on guaranteed bonuses milking the bonus pool. So yes, revenue per MD head has to be basically bottom out of any bank.
I think everyone just spams upvotes to give visibility to threads
Yes spam upvoting it’s the only way to raise awareness to what a hellhole this place has become.
It’s also impossible to have that many accounts with that many silver bananas, you run out really fast and have to earn them. It’s definitely many people sharing the same sentiment and silver bannana-ing down each comment until they run out of silver bananas.
Bingo - if all the juniors upvote we can raise awareness
congrats on UBS
There are some real issues at UBS that explain the criticism. The integration of Credit Suisse has created overlapping teams, internal politics, and uncertainty around group structures. Investment banking also isn’t the firm’s primary focus compared to wealth management, which can mean uneven deal flow and tighter bonus pools. Add in merger-related penny pitching, very low deal flow and shifting delusional leadership, and it’s not surprising some employees feel frustrated right now.
How bad is it as an incoming summer analyst?
You’ll arrive at a bullpen that is frustrated, tired and ready to go work elsewhere
Interned there in the past, let’s just say you should do your very best and look around for other options
The merger with CS created a lot of issues IMO. Hiring individual MDs externally allows you to strategically fill coverage gaps. But when you absorb an entire bank, it leads to bloat and overlapping coverage areas, internal politics, layoffs, etc.
MV made the downfall of UBS that much more extreme by hiring only “yes men” who can’t actually close deals at the rate MDs are suppose to.
When it’s internal politics over deals, you get a Barclays Bro-tocracy
real reason is UBS has the highest international/visa rate of the BBs.
there's poor culture because there is no culture - no shared upbringing, just a bunch of siloed internationals from india, china, korea, middle east, europe, australia, with a handful of americans.
add in the fact many of these internationals are unable to leave without facing deportation (and unable in this environment to get another job who will sponsor), and its created a truly miserable vibe.
think about it - what are the groups known for having better culture: Sponsors and Lev Fin; these groups have the highest number of americans on the team. Notice how they also have the best relationships and clients.
groups known for poor culture (M&A, FIG, M&T) - majority internationals. some ranks have 80% plus internationals (truly mind blowing honestly).
So you have no shared upbringing, imported facetime/caste culture from india/china, visa slaves, and a bunch of international bankers with accents trying to pitch and win midwestern american businesses owned by white boomers.
Non-Americans are ultimately the problem.
When a group is majority international, you get caste systems, 996 expectations, in-group ethnic preferences, and incredibly inefficient processes. Seniors in those groups treat juniors from the lowest caste.
And for the junior class, they hired 50% internationals. This is a legitimately discriminatory hiring practice - there are so many applications from Americans for these seats. They just want to hire slaves who won’t push back.
thats just the culture issues, the actual business issues are more concerning. you dont hire a team full of 60% americans to pitch and win business in India or China - why would that work in reverse here in the states?
I know there are some exceptions and true talent will be recognized in america but broadly speaking its going to be tough to beat the rest of the banks when this is the hiring practice here.
This is a front-office client facing sales role!
I dont think M&A or M&T have one white american ASO in their entire groups. Reverse racism is real
Your inability to realize the very clear cause of UBS hate stems from poor deal flow at most groups and urge to relate that with juniors' ethnic background prove why those Patels were hired over many Americans.
Problem is mainly the international executive directors and directors who treat juniors like slaves from a lower caste. In some groups, basically all of them are international.
Not true - spoke to UBS recruiting team and for the ongoing summer analyst internship they were not considering any applicant who was an international student
Go look through the h1B database and report back:
https://h1bdata.info
Congrats on UBS!
There’s H1Bs hiring incompetent H1Bs who can barely speak or understand English. It makes no sense.
Given the lack of comments on it amidst all the complaining, I guess they aren’t doing DEI lol
UBS cares more about what makes them money, weath management. So they reallocate resources from IB to WM. CS merger was absolute failure, every rainmaker MD left to go to other banks.
Past legacy rainmaker MDs left because no money = Remaining MDs twiddling their dumbs at home with their feet up = Junior bankers endlessly pitching nonsense deadend deals = sweat shop culture, no deals = no fees = everyone hates their job and is constantly looking for exits = people getting fired = interns come on in the summer and do no live deals = no return offers = UBS is paradise
Listen. Here is the issue. UBS is chock full of chuds. Chud central. Major LTN & LTBs. We can’t have that. Fix yourselves. Heightmaxx. Jump at the ceiling 25 times per day - it’ll genetically help you grow. Chin smashing. Smash your chin into the wall 100 times a day. It will help with bone growth. Claviclemaxx - stretch your arms 100 times a day to frame mog everyone. Post influencer videos daily. You NEED a 5-9 before your 9-5. You also need a 5-9 AFTER your 9-5. Make sure that everyone knows. And UBS will ascend.
Congrats on being a financial advisor 🥱🥱🥱🥱
🍆🍑
Congrats on UBS!
My indian and chinese H1B EDs are ruining my life. They are insufferable.
Can we please get a white Midwestern American man instead? He’d be way chiller, take us out for drinks, and be better long term business wise cause clients will actually like him
Congrats on indian and chinese H1B EDs!
Bump
Shake shack is really close
it's mostly just typical forum echo chamber behavior. people here over-index on prestige and league tables to a point where if you aren't at a top 3 firm, it's considered "bad."
culture is a huge plus and it's definitely less of a meat grinder than jpm or goldman. for a lot of people that trade-off is worth it, but that doesn't make for exciting threads so you only see the negative stuff about exits or comp.
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