You can know exactly where you want to work and still struggle to choose the right internship. In Switzerland, the employer name is only the beginning. Your availability, stage of study, interests and eligibility can decide whether an opportunity makes sense before anyone reads your motivation statement.

This guide brings together six CareerFairy livestreams: two with On, plus Nestlé, Julius Baer, LGT Capital Partners and UBS Group Technology. You can find every recording at the end. The conversations took place between May 2025 and September 2026. Programme dates and recruitment conditions below describe those sessions; check the current vacancy before applying. We use the recordings to explain how to make a stronger decision and application, rather than treating last season’s opportunities as vacancies today. Watch the recordings: On AG (2025-05-27), On AG (2026-05-12), Nestlé (2026-04-30), Julius Bär (2026-03-10), LGT Capital Partners (2026-09-30), UBS (2025-05-13).

How do you get an internship in Switzerland?

Start by checking the role’s eligibility, dates and duration. Then choose a function you can explain an interest in, tailor your CV with relevant evidence, and prepare for the employer’s selection process. The recruiters emphasised motivation and curiosity, but the programmes differed substantially in timing, requirements and assessment.

That means your first useful application task is making a shortlist. You do not need a spreadsheet with hundreds of employers. You need a few opportunities for which you can answer three questions: can I join, why this work, and what evidence shows I could contribute?

Which internship format fits your university calendar?

A summer internship and a six-month placement solve different problems. If your degree leaves you free only during the summer, a longer programme may require a semester away from university. If you want to take responsibility for a project over time, a short summer programme may offer a different experience.

At On, the May 2026 session described two cohorts starting on 1 March and 1 September, each lasting six months. The common start was deliberate: interns could join onboarding together and build a community. The recruiter said these start dates were not flexible. Being enthusiastic about On would not compensate for being unable to join the cohort for its full duration.

Nestlé described six-month internships with opportunities across the year. That creates a different planning question: which opening fits your availability and the particular team’s needs? A rolling calendar does not mean every team can accommodate any start date. Read the individual advertisement.

Julius Baer presented its 2026 summer programme as ten weeks, from 1 July to 4 September. Those dates are historical examples, not an upcoming intake. The bank also discussed other internships lasting three to six months. A student looking only at the summer programme could therefore miss another format that better fits their course.

LGT Capital Partners described spring, summer and autumn internship seasons. Spring and autumn placements generally lasted four to six months in the September 2026 presentation. UBS Group Technology distinguished summer internships in July and August from longer internships of six to twelve months.

Before applying, put your exam dates, required attendance and earliest start date beside the placement duration. If the two do not align, investigate another format instead of hoping the employer will shorten its programme after selection.

What should you check about eligibility before writing an application?

Eligibility belongs at the beginning of your search because it can determine whether the employer can consider you at all. Check the stated study level, graduation window, any mandatory-internship requirement and the employer’s conditions concerning permission to work.

Nestlé’s April 2026 session welcomed bachelor’s and master’s students and recent graduates whose internship start was within one year of their last graduation. The recruiter also stated a curriculum requirement for non-EU students. Treat that as a condition described for those opportunities, and ask the recruiting team how the current role’s requirements apply to your circumstances.

On’s recruiter said in May 2026 that visa sponsorship was not available for its intern-level opportunities and described the Swiss eligibility conditions candidates needed to meet. The same session said relocation assistance was not available for internships, although candidates willing to arrange their own relocation could apply if eligible.

These are employer-specific statements from a recording. They are not a general explanation of Swiss immigration rules, and they should not be transferred to Nestlé, UBS or another company. The practical lesson is to check each vacancy and seek clarification from its recruiting team when needed.

For your own shortlist, record the wording of the requirement rather than making a guess based on a friend’s situation. If an internship must be part of your curriculum, establish what your university can document. If relocation is involved, check the support offered before building your budget around it.

Do you have to study finance to intern at a Swiss bank?

The UBS session is a useful reminder that a bank also employs technology specialists. Its focus was Group Technology, with examples of technical work and a speaker whose route included astrophysics. Looking only for a traditional finance background would obscure those opportunities.

Julius Baer also discussed different functions. The conversation included a machine-learning engineering experience and an internship connected to the CFO’s office. The skills relevant to those roles will overlap in some places and differ in others. Analytical thinking might matter in both; the technical tools and business questions may be quite different.

The same principle extends beyond banks. Nestlé discussed internships in several parts of a large international business. On’s internship conversations covered the experience of joining teams within a sportswear company, rather than suggesting that every intern needed the same academic profile.

Start with the function. What would you actually work on? Which problems does that team handle? Which part of your course or experience makes you interested? Only then use the employer’s broader mission and products to explain why you want to do that work there.

A specific answer could connect a data project to a technology role or an operations assignment to a supply-chain opportunity. “I want to work for a famous Swiss company” gives a recruiter much less to assess.

What does a convincing internship CV show?

A good internship CV helps someone see your relevant experience quickly. It does not need to imitate the CV of a person with five years in the industry. University projects, student responsibilities and previous placements can provide evidence if you explain what you did.

UBS’s recruiter highlighted the CV as a place where applicants can make a difference in a competitive process. At Julius Baer, the discussion acknowledged that study history, grades and previous internships could enter the initial assessment. The later interview was also a chance to show motivation and personal fit.

You cannot retrospectively change a grade. You can make the evidence you do have easier to understand. For a project, explain the problem, your contribution and the result or learning. For a group assignment, distinguish what you owned from what the group achieved together.

For example, a line saying you completed a university data project is less informative than a short account of how you cleaned inconsistent data, compared approaches and explained the limitations of the analysis. Keep every detail truthful. The point is clarity, not adding impressive numbers you cannot support.

Tailoring should also influence what you place first. A technical project may deserve more space for a technology internship. A student organisation responsibility could be useful evidence for coordination or stakeholder work. You are choosing the most relevant parts of your history for a particular reader.

How can you explain motivation without sounding generic?

Nestlé’s recruiter stressed motivation to learn and grow. The session also encouraged candidates to think about what they wanted to learn, rather than assuming an intern must arrive with every skill already developed.

On’s conversations similarly made thoughtful choices important. Applying indiscriminately to unrelated roles gives you a harder motivation question to answer. If you cannot explain what connects you to a specific team, the brand may be doing all the work in your application.

Build your explanation from a real connection. Name an area of work you want to explore, relate it to something you have done, and explain what you hope to learn or contribute. This is more useful than listing the employer’s values without showing how they connect to your behaviour.

Curiosity becomes credible when it is specific. Perhaps a course made you interested in how a model behaves with imperfect data. Perhaps a previous placement showed you how much coordination sits behind a product launch. These are starting points for explaining why a particular internship is the next useful step.

Keep the scale realistic. An internship is an opportunity to learn within a team, not a promise that you will transform the entire company. You can be ambitious while describing a contribution appropriate to the role.

What selection stages should you prepare for?

The recordings did not describe one universal Swiss recruitment process. Prepare for the employer and role you have actually applied to.

UBS Group Technology described an initial eligibility check, cognitive and behavioural assessments, a recorded video interview, and interviews with the business. The behavioural assessment involved scenarios linked to the bank’s values. Knowing this sequence can help you practise the right things: reasoning under assessment conditions, explaining your choices, and communicating your experience clearly.

Julius Baer’s recruiter said the first interview step would mostly involve a prerecorded video. The discussion emphasised the candidate’s motivation and personality, followed by the opportunity to show fit in interviews. That makes concise, specific answers useful preparation.

Practise an introduction, an explanation of your interest in the role and examples of how you worked with others or handled a challenge. Say them aloud. An answer that looks neat on a page can become too long when spoken.

For an assessment, follow the employer’s instructions and use any practice materials it provides. Arrange a quiet setting and enough uninterrupted time. For a recorded interview, check the technical setup before starting. These steps do not replace relevant skills, but they help you show those skills without avoidable distractions.

Do not assume the sequence, assessment provider or timing from a 2025 recording is unchanged today. Use the session to anticipate the type of preparation, then follow the current invitation.

How do you judge whether an internship will be a good learning experience?

The work matters, but so does the environment in which you will learn it. On’s sessions described an intern community, shared onboarding, feedback and opportunities to connect with others. These features help explain why the programme used common start dates.

Nestlé challenged the idea that an internship is simply administrative support. The conversation presented meaningful work and learning within teams. At the banks, former interns and graduates described how an initial placement could expose them to functions and colleagues they had not previously understood.

In an interview, ask how your responsibilities develop over the placement. Who will give you feedback? What would a successful internship look like to the team? How do interns learn about other functions? These questions make your decision more concrete than asking whether the company has a good culture.

Consider the differences between formats. A longer placement can create time to understand a project and follow its development. A shorter programme may let you explore a field during a university break. Neither automatically gives a better experience; the responsibilities and support determine its value to you.

Will an internship lead to a graduate job?

An internship can help you learn whether you want to return, and it can give an employer evidence of your work. The recordings included people who moved from internships into later opportunities. Julius Baer, for example, discussed an intern’s subsequent graduate route.

That is evidence of a possible path, not a promise of conversion. Future vacancies, programme requirements and your performance can affect the next step. It is sensible to ask about later opportunities, while evaluating the internship as a useful experience in its own right.

UBS’s session also distinguished internships from its graduate programme, which it described as an eighteen-month programme with rotations and permanent employment. Do not treat those terms as interchangeable. If you have finished studying, check which route you are eligible for and which kind of learning structure you want.

What should you do before submitting your next application?

Choose three to five roles and complete the same checks for each. Confirm the dates and eligibility. Read the actual responsibilities. Identify two pieces of evidence from your experience. Write down one question about the work and one about the learning environment.

Then review your application as if you were the recruiter. Can someone see why you chose this function? Is your availability clear? Does your CV show your contribution rather than just naming courses? Are you following the instructions for this particular application?

This process also helps you decide where to spend your time. A role that cannot fit your academic calendar may be less useful than another opening at the same employer. An unfamiliar function may deserve a closer look if its work matches your strengths.

Frequently asked questions about internships in Switzerland

Can recent graduates apply for internships?

Sometimes. Nestlé described a window of up to one year after graduation at the internship start. On also discussed graduates joining its cohorts. Check the current vacancy because eligibility differs across employers and programmes.

Are all Swiss internships summer programmes?

No. The sessions included summer programmes, six-month cohorts and longer placements. Your study calendar should help determine which format you investigate.

Is English enough for an internship?

Nestlé emphasised fluent English for its international environment. Other roles may have additional language requirements depending on the team or market. Read the specific advertisement rather than assuming one requirement covers the whole employer.

Can I apply without previous internships?

Read the role’s requirements. Where professional experience is limited, relevant coursework, projects and student responsibilities can help demonstrate your contribution and motivation. Julius Baer discussed previous experience as one consideration, rather than describing it as the only thing that matters.

Will the employer arrange my relocation?

Do not assume so. On said relocation assistance was not available for intern-level roles in its May 2026 session. Check support for each opportunity before planning your move.

Where can I hear the recruiters’ full advice?

Watch the CareerFairy recordings below, then compare the current vacancy with the programme described. The sessions can help you choose better questions to ask, understand the work and prepare an application grounded in your own experience.

Live Streams behind this guide

This article draws on the following CareerFairy recordings. Programme details and recruitment processes reflect the dates of the conversations.

• On AG: Discover Our Internship Program - Start Your Early Career with On (2025-05-27)
• On AG: Discover Our Internship Program - Start Your Early Career with On (2026-05-12)
• Nestlé: Land a Nestlé internship in Switzerland (2026-04-30)
• Julius Bär: Ready for summer? Explore our 2026 Summer Internship positions! (2026-03-10)
• LGT Capital Partners: Private Markets Unlocked: Your Inside Track to a Career at LGT Capital Partners (2026-09-30)
• UBS: Reimagine careers in Tech: discover our opportunities in Group Technology! (2025-05-13)

Want to ask employers your own questions? Explore upcoming CareerFairy Live Streams to hear directly from recruiters and employees.