Swiss graduates still consider finance an attractive field – but UBS and Credit Suisse have lost out with lawyers in particular.
Zurich-based Credit Suisse dropped out of the top three most attractive employers in Switzerland, according to a survey compiled by employer branding firm Universum Global. The study polled 11,952 students in 75 universities and other institutions of higher learning.
Little has changed at the top of the league table from last year for 4,331 business students polled (see graphic below), where Google still leads. But Credit Suisse has slipped from its third-place berth, which was taken by luxury watchmaker Rolex. UBS, Switzerland's largest bank, held second place.
Banks actually advanced in that institutes like Liechtenstein's LGT (74th place), Union Bancaire Privée, or UBP (99th place), or Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (100th) appeared on the ranking for the first time.
A peculiarity of the 2020 league table was that Credit Suisse dropped off with law students: the Swiss bank stood at eighth place last year, but was overtaken this year by Switzerland's central bank as well as FIFA, the world's soccer governing body.
In short, lawyers would rather begin their career fighting the Swiss National Bank's or FIFA's corner, than Credit Suisse's (the bank is overseen by lawyer Urs Rohner). By contrast, postal subsidiary Postfinance flew past big-name employers like Heineken and Glencore as well as the city of Zurich to move into 59th place, from 68th last year.
