Isabelle Dublin, Corporate Communication Officer, Banque Pictet & Cie

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Isabelle Dublin, Corporate Communication Officer in Banque Pictet & Cie in Zurich (CH). USI Degree: Master in Corporate Communication, 2015.

How did you start your career?

Shortly after graduating form USI in November 2015 and after a half-year intermezzo at a communications agency in Bern, I got a job in media relations at the Zurich office of Genevan private bank Pictet. Two years later I was promoted to corporate communications officer.

Why did you choose a career in Banque Pictet & Cie?

- Pictet, the 3rd largest bank in Switzerland in terms of assets under management, is a great employer and has a very low staff turnover. If you are ambitious, there are many talent programs and internal training you can do to build your career.
- Banking and finance is a huge and important sector in Switzerland, with many opportunities. Because the sector is struggling with a lack of gender diversity, there are nowadays a lot of opportunities for female candidates.

What is your current role/duties?

My tasks are very diverse and include social media community management, PR & media relations, internal communication, marketing communications along with the marketing teams for Pictet Asset Management and Pictet Wealth Management, media monitoring.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career in Banque Pictet & Cie?

- At Pictet, as in most other companies I guess, social skills and interpersonal relations are important.
- Pictet was founded in 1805 and is nicknamed a «214-year old start-up». The processes are not set in stone like one could imagine would be the case at big banks like UBS. Entrepreneurial spirit is one of the Group’s values and speaks for itself: you are welcome to take initiatives, to make suggestions, to be entrepreneurial.
- I was new to the banking sector so I had a lot of knowledge to catch up on. Through my employer, I was able to follow a course in Private Banking that gave me very useful knowledge about banking, investments, the financial sector itself, its laws and regulations, etc. in order to understand the daily business and the bank’s business model.

What are USI’s positive features and qualities?

- The USI structure educates you to be independent and prepares you well for the professional world.
- It’s a yound university with a modern study offering adapted to the trends shaping today’s world.

What competences and/or skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

Courses such as investor relations but also electives like the media relations course were particularly relevant to me, but the entire program (incl. the capstone project and the thesis) was excellent and provided a complete and in-depth knowledge.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

- Say “yes” to new opportunities, even if it’s in an industry you are not familiar with. It should not stop you. You can always take courses and acquire the necessary knowledge. Being from a different background can even be an advantage because it brings a fresh perspective and “out of the box-thinking”. There are many interesting opportunities at the crossroads of finance and communication out there.
- Be brave, be courageous. Go the extra-mile, go to staff events, workshops, and seize all the networking opportunities you can. Look for relevant job or industry associations in your town to get some additional insights and expand your social circle.
- If possible, look out for a mentor that will coach you.
- Take your job seriously, don’t take yourself too seriously.