Is being an analyst really that bad?

It’s definitely not that if you get through the Analyst years you are set… there’s a reason not every Analyst makes it to MD or a similar high-paying career. The job continues to be demanding although in different ways. But no one is hard chilling in this industry

so nothing is good or bad, depends on how you look at it, what you're comparing it to, etc. Hours aren't the issue. The issue is always "I want to do other things but I have no time", "not interesting or mundane", etc. The only real concern is the impact that the job has on your health (stress, lack of sleep, etc.), but you can be healthier by sleeping 5 hours and eating clean and nutritious dense foods, hydrating, sleeping on weekends, cutting alcohol, etc. vs. someone that works a 9-5 and has a poor lifestyle. 

it's demanding, but by no means like being an Auschwitz prisoner or working in a coal mine.

it depends on you

Being an analyst isn’t as bad as everyone says. I think a lot of people (including myself) complain a lot when we’re busy and generally tend to inflate hours worked. That being said, the job isn’t easy by any means - some weeks you’re barely working but more often than not you’re working 70-80 hours+ and working with lack of sleep, poor nutrition, a lot of toxic cultures where people don’t treat you that well, tight / artificial deadlines, etc. 

Being an analyst is being able to grind through the program, but it’s definitely doable. Just have to be able to put in the time and put your head down to grind.
 

It starts to become harder when you get more senior (banking / PE / etc.) and you see your bosses above grinding just as hard and their lives are just as stressful (and even more so since their jobs are on the line if a deal or stock pick doesn’t go well). Your priorities change and you ask yourself if the sacrifice is worth it (and that depends on what each person values). 

Yes, it sucks.

I thought it sucked pretty big schlong but that's just me. 

As others have said, it sucks in different ways as you move up. I'm a 3rd year associate now, but this job is definitely harder than when I was an analyst. Less mindless work, but way more pressure, responsibility and hours actually as well since I need to cover for my analysts when they mess something up or can't do something.  

Yes

Yea

Yes but I actually think being an associate is worse. 90% of the hours with more pressure and less cover.

VPs would probably say the same thing about themselves vs associates.

In short, this job always sucks. Put in your time and gtfo.

Yeah the first 6 months will take you to a dark place but then you adapt

First year is the worst. Very bank and group dependent. Regardless, the work is always mundane, even if you're "passionate" about finance.

There's a huge bell curve around the Analyst experience too, and the real 100+ hour week horror stories are the extreme cases (which is just like Instagram or the news cycle - you see the extremes of gorgeous waterfalls or crazy club nights in the former or dreadful natural disasters or shooting in the latter).

Being in a sweaty team at a BB or EB with a tyrant for an MD will be a very different experience to a supportive and friendly culture at a different bank with a slower pace. You tend to see the stories about the former (and I get it - that's totally human; everyone likes to moan or express their frustration when things are tough).

And as other posters have said, it gets tougher as you get more senior, but it gets easier in other ways. I do need to remind myself sometimes though that bankers are typically in the top 1% of earners (HMRC has this data), and as a community, we could be laying tarmac on roads or cleaning up patients on a hospital ward for far less money. IB is hard, but it's well-rewarded

Yes

hope this helps!

>Is Being An Analyst Really That Bad?

yeah

.

Yes, the analyst experience sucks for multiple reasons listed below.

• The hours are rough and could range from a weekly average of 60 at a regional boutique to 100+ at a sweaty group at a BB

• The work you do really isn't that interesting most of the time. A lot of time will be spent taking notes, formatting slides, creating simple tables in Excel, copy-paste broker research comments etc. 

• You have no control over your time. You always have to be available as an analyst. This sucks because it's impossible to plan stuff. It's Friday at 9pm and you're planning to leave the office for drinks? Too bad, your associate just came back with some comments and asked to send to VP ahead of the weekend.

• You are the lowest in the hierarchy and people from your 3-5 projects will constantly try to push as much work down on you as possible. You will constantly struggle with pushing back on work just to keep your head above water.

• The combination of the above-mentioned points is what really makes it so difficult. Working 80+ hours a week, with severe sleep deprivation and EXTREMELY limited time for your own interests is difficult on its own. Doing it at a job which really isn't that interesting but mostly consists of conducting simple tasks where you have absolutely zero control of the very limited spare time you have is what makes it horrible.

However, as others have mentioned it's by no means a paradise when you make it to associate, VP or even MD. The thing which is boring, but also very good about being an analyst is that your work mostly consists of very simple tasks with extremely clear guidance. As such, you never have to think very much and you will always have people double-checking your work. Once you make it to associate, that is no longer the case. You have much more responsibility and your tasks are more intellectually difficult, so the hours in the office become much more demanding. Also, you do no longer just have to manage upwards but also downwards as you are now responsible for the work of the analysts.

Moreover, the hours really do not improve that much. What does improve is your control over your time. As an associate, you could more easily slip away for an hour to hit the gym or push work from Sunday morning to Sunday afternoon if you have plans. In terms of hours, I can only speak from my experience at GS. As an analyst, I work an average of 90 hours a week. Associates are around 80 and VPs around 70. With that said, you will not by any means be able to sit back and relax once you're past your analyst years...