How should you dress for your banking interview with Credit Suisse, UBS, or any other Swiss bank? What makes a Zurich banker stand out? Should I wear a tie?
Interviews are naturally stressful. First impressions count and you want to leave a good one. So many factors are not in your control during an interview, but how you present yourself is. A key aspect of communicating the image of yourself as a competent and desirable candidate for the position is your attire.
Put your best foot forward and leave a lasting impression in your banking interview with Credit Suisse and UBS by following these eight simple rules.
1. Know the job.
Stereotypes abound in banking. IT workers wear sneakers and short-sleeved shirts, while the investment bankers wear garish suspenders and smoke Cuban cigars. Although these stereotypes are blatant exaggerations there is also some truth to them.
Firstly, before you dress for the interview you need to consider what the job is and what it requires. Are you in the back office? Or are you in the front office with constant client contact? The answer to this question is key to knowing how formally you should dress.
If banking formality were on a sliding scale, the bankers with the strictest dress code and highest formality would be those working on the “front” with direct client contact. At the lowest end of formality are the crucial back-office support functions such as IT. Therefore, know the type of job you have applied for and whether client contact is involved or not.
Secondly, consider the location of your position. Private bankers working from Paradeplatz offices will not only be in contact with clients but also have higher visibility to executive management. If you are working at Paradeplatz as a junior, casual Friday does not exist. Regardless of the weather, wear a white crisp shirt, tie, and suit. I attended summer afterwork drinks in 32-degree weather with two gentlemen who worked in the Paradeplatz office. Both spent the whole time sweating in their white shirts, with undershirts, tie, and suit jacket. Needless to say, their office did not celebrate casual Friday.
For your banking interview with Credit Suisse and UBS, stick to the most formal option.
2. What is the CEO wearing?
Get to know the company culture. Is it a Fintech where the employees model their outfits on the Steve Jobs example of black turtlenecks? Or is it a traditional big bank where the emphasis is on portraying a sharp corporate image?
Crucial to your banking interview is knowing the company culture.
Adapt your attire to the vibe of the bank you are applying to, understand how the company sees themselves and how they want to be portrayed. Then dress accordingly. Although the big banks tend to be more formal, a key tip is to check out what the CEO is wearing. The CEO often sets the tone for the company. For example, if the CEO does not wear a tie in the company reports, this indicates a relaxation of the typical uniform. Another clue is to look at what the employees wear. You can go by the company office a few days before and see how the employees dress on a day to day basis, or you can simply take a look at the company social media pages. These should provide some insights.
Keep in mind, that as a general rule, you should dress traditionally and formally for the traditional banks and big investment banks. For other finance companies, especially in the start-up space, tend to define themselves through their non-traditional attire
3. Suit up! It’s time to interview.
Suits belong to the bankers’ uniform, do not think about going to an interview without one. Follow Barney’s lead and suit-up, but make sure to follow some key rules.
This is not the time to wear your sartorial forest-green suit. Stick to the generally accepted colours. Black is usually considered to be for funerals, instead stick to charcoal, grey, or dark navy suits. Stay away from pinstripes unless you are sure what you are doing. Patterns are for the brave or stupid.
For your banking interview play it smart and stick to the accepted colours.
The rules in Zurich the rules aren’t as strict, so you may get away with a black suit. Similarly, you do not need to spend thousands and have a suit tailor-made for you, nor does it have to be designer.
Do avoid the high street stores like H&M and Zara and go for an above mid-range store. Keep in mind that suit styles vary slightly between cities. London places a bigger emphasis on sharp tailoring, while Americans place a bigger focus on labels as a status symbol.
Key Tips
DO make sure that the suit fits. Pay particular attention to the fit on the shoulders, the arms, and the length of the trousers.
DO NOT open the pockets if they are sewn shut. Using these pockets stretches them out and ruins the look. Instead, use the pockets on the inside of the suit.
DO open the jacket buttons when sitting down. If your suit has two buttons, always leave the bottom button unfastened.
4. White Collar worker
A key component of any banker’s wardrobe is the white shirt. Keep a week’s supply of good quality, structured, white shirts on hand and make it part of your “uniform”.
It pays to go for quality for your shirts. Invest in shirts that are structured, with a strong collar, and 100% cotton. The collar should be strong enough to hold a tie or stand on its own. Go for a slim – but not tight – fit.
Avoid, loose, ill-fitting, and unstructured shirts. These will just spill out of your trousers and drag your look down.
The traditional banking uniform is a white shirt, but other light colours such as a light blue, are also acceptable. Play it safe and stick to white and light blue shirts. Other colours and patterns are only for those who really know what they’re doing or for those who simply who don’t care anymore.
Key rules
DO always iron your shirt or pay someone to iron them for you.
DO always wear full-length sleeves, no matter the weather. Short sleeves are for losers.
DO keep a spare shirt in your office. No one wants to walk around with a coffee stain all day.
5. No brown in town
In life, there are unwritten rules and it is useful to know them. The phrase ‘no brown in town’ is one of these rules. Don’t wear brown shows to your banking interview.
From where does ‘no brown in town’ come from? The saying comes from the English, where brown shoes were for the weekend or the countryside while working week attire was strictly darker colours. While this saying may appear to be trivial, studies have found that applicants, who broke such unwritten style rules by wearing brown shoes with their suits, were also less likely to be hired.
If you want to stick to sartorial rules, never wear brown shoes with a blue suit, especially not in the City of London. Senior investment bankers, particularly in the City, are still a conservative bunch when it comes to style and unwittingly wearing brown shoes with a business suit could count against you.
Therefore, at your banking interview, it is safest to go with black Oxfords as your footwear of choice.
6. Tie your outfit together
Ties used to be an unquestioned, mandatory element of the business uniform, however, recently they have become increasingly optional.
The decline in the tie’s popularity has unfortunately made it harder to determine when to wear one and when not. In Zurich, some CEOs have cast them aside entirely, while others remain a stickler for the formality of a tie.
In case of doubt, it is best to go with the tie, particularly for the interview.
If you are in a client-facing position or another position that is high-touch with clients or external parties, it is safe to assume that you are expected to wear a tie. In the other positions or back offices, you must use your best judgement to determine when one is appropriate.
The tie should be a mid-width of approximately 7 centimetres, do not go for a skinny tie unless you want to look like a high schooler at the annual dance.
With a spread collar, either a full or half Windsor knot is best, depending on the width of the tie. If you are wearing a button-down collar, a Four-in-Hand knot is also appropriate. The tie should not be too long or too short, ideally, it should hit just above the belt buckle.
Regardless, for your banking interview with Credit Suisse, UBS, or any other of the the big banks, wear a tie.
7. Polish your banker look
Accessories can either elevate or break your look. Make sure you present a complete look and don’t let yourself down with scuffed shoes.
Firstly, to the accessories. Jewellery should be understated and kept to a minimum, this includes watches and cufflinks. Avoid coming across as arrogant or superficial and leave the ostentatious displays of wealth, i.e. leave the Rolex and Gucci belt at home.
Secondly, grooming is key. Shoes should be polished, shirts ironed, and the suit steamed. You can also hang your suit outside overnight to smooth any creases.
Your socks should be long enough that when you sit down, no leg is visible. There is no need to over-accessorize with pocket squares and lapel pins, keep it simple.
8. Know the Rules and When to Break Them
Banking is an old and traditional sector. Bank employees and their knowledge are a key asset of the bank. Therefore, bankers are expected to project the expertise and trust that their industries aim to convey through their attire. Show you understand your role and those of the industry by dressing appropriately for the interview.
Now that you know the key rules for your Zurich banking interview, you also know when to break them. Rules are there for a reason, and you can’t go wrong if you follow them. But once you know the rules, there is nothing wrong with breaking them and adapting them to suit your situation. The key is knowing what you are doing and doing it consciously.
Lastly, congratulations on landing your banking interview with Credit Suisse and UBS, or one of the other big banks. And good luck!