Working through the Weekend - Good or Dreadful Idea?
I know some Apes here work through the weekend. Which of you here thinks this is a good idea and which of you here thinks this is a bad idea?
If you're working a hundred hour weeks you are definitely working on the weekends.
**Question** And if working hundred hour weeks is what it takes to succeed are you willing to commit?
Some have a strong propensity for the work-life balance while others believe that work is life and there is no such thing as work-life balance.
**Question** At what stage does it no longer makes sense to be working hundred hour weeks and really to go for a more Balanced Life?
Personally, I work thru the weekends all the time I think it is kind of fun. This habit started at Georgia Tech carried itself through the military and now it's normal. Having a life is an on-off switch and I could turn it on and off whenever I feel like it.
I like to have multiple anvils in the fire, so weekends are for side projects. I’ve been known to go into the office on a weekend to avoid being around my wife and watch Netflix though.
What do you do exactly dude? Aren't you like a Navy butterbar who worked at an oil company and does articles now or some shit? You talk a lot about how much you work bro what do you do
YouTube.
OP is an ex-military man who works in WSO and had a messed up love life is all I know. Perhaps the last one makes it an 100 hour work week?
:) Life is never simple and easy but that's what makes it worth living!
Here's something I did for the Ford Company. First time using Adobe Premiere.
I personally think the "100+hour workweeks" mentioned on here are bullshit. I just do not believe any employer, manager,VP, etc. would expect someone to be in the office AT LEAST 8AM - 10PM, 7 days a week (or any variation of 100 hours for that matter).
Now, for those monkeys trying to go"beyond expecations" and demonstrate "commitment", I think you are doing more harm that good.
EDIT: I am not doubting that there will be SOME 100 hour weeks. But I am referring to every week as OP's post seems to imply.
Do you have any idea what deal close time is like? Because 100 hour weeks at the close of a deal is pretty normal. I don't even have a corporate job and I work 7am-12pm 7 days a week. If you can't handle 8-10 7 days a week you need to set your sights on something else.
Yes, very aware of what deal close time is like.
But deal close time is not every single week.
Wow that's 35 hours per week!
(Teasing since I know you meant 12am)
Obviously this is an IB focused thread, but I will give me external perspective. It depends.
Is the work you are doing going to be value add? Will it set you ahead for the week, or are you just working to work? I have plenty of opportunities to work from home over the weekend, I would say only 10% of the time it actually makes sense for me to do so - whether that's because I require people to respond and I know I wont get the responses or I may not even be able to work something because I need guidance or a co-worker to partner with due to scope.
I'd say the real reasons to work weekends are for getting valuable face time (non-existent in my line of work) or because you are setting your following week up for success in doing so.
I used work stupid hours all the time, now just at deal time when it gets a bit out of hand. I think if you are board at the weekend then doing a little work so you can go out and chill with mates during the week is a solid plan.
But regularly pulling 100+ weeks has weird effects on one's body. For example, putting orange juice in your nespresso machine water tank, showing your credit card instead of your passport card at the airport and looking like a twat and so on, you get the picture. It does build awesome stamina for all sorts of activities......
Got to make time for the ladies!
If you think working consistent weekends is fun, then you have not experienced life.
You forgot the 3rd option: "Not Optional"
Most people don't choose to work the weekend because it is fun - they just have things that need to be done in a timely manner and for some MD's that's 8 am on Monday so they can review when they hit the links
Yeah, on my end its not by choice. What do you do when your MD hits you with an email on Saturday and says "I need this done ASAP and would like to review this PM. Thanks" ?
No one regularly works 100 hours a week. You may work 100 hours in a week once, maybe twice during your IB stint. As far as working on the weekend is concerned, you do it when you need to. If something needs to be done you do it. You don't wait until the following Monday to get back to work.
This is simply not true from my experience, which admittedly was a long time ago. 100 hour weeks were much more common than once or twice in your stint. We also didn't have the new weekend rules so maybe it's changed. It was more like once every 6 - 8 weeks with the other weeks averaging 80 - 90 hours. It definitely takes a toll. I knew some analysts where it was much more frequent than that.
To the post above mapping hours it was more like 17 - 18 hours per day on weekdays and 6 - 8 hours per day on weekends.
DLJ had a famous memo from the mid-90s written by a MD that dictated that 113.5 hours/week is the right number of hours - you can see it here;
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnx1…
I see people working 70 - 80 hours in IB and flaunting 100+ hours a week. I had a friend who was working about 90 hours a week. One week he worked 114 hours. The dude was an animal. He lost about 40 pounds over a four month period and came close to losing his mind from all of the stress and addy. 100 hours a week means ~17 hours a day 6 days out of the week, throughout the year. That doesn't happen - at least to the dozen or so people I know that work in IB.
There's a culture in IB that promotes this sort of nonsense. I'm not sure how working that many hours is prestigious, but that's the culture. Also, an MD can say whatever the fuck he pleases. It doesn't make it reality. But who knows, maybe people really did work 100+ hours back when bankers made real money.
Um.. I usually break from work to do fun stuff. Breaking from fun stuff to do work is just so elementary.
OP is the greatest shitposter in WSO history. He should add that to his LinkedIn.
Agreed. Posts topics just for the sake of posting em.
I did my time. What ever did you do with your life?
Better to join up before you get Drafted into a billet you don't want to get into when shit hits the fan. :)
Working one day on the weekend is fine, it's the constantly working both days that fucks up the whole week / month.
bro who says dreadful
I used to work weekends constantly because there's always something to be done and I thought it was helping my career.
I've learned that people who work weekends with a smile when they need to are rock stars and are highly valued employees. This attitude gets you promoted.
I've also learned that people who work weekends when they don't need to are chumps and the work is not highly valued. This doesn't get you promoted. As an aside, it also lessens the impact when you work weekends because you have to and that work is now valued less as well.
You're young, take advantage of the small amount of free time you have when it comes up. It will make you a better individual and a better employee.
Really good perspective here - SB.
I generally try not to work weekends (minus a couple hours here and there to get ready for week ahead), but I have had a few instances where I worked through the weekend, and I think that is just part of the job. Thankfully, consultants do not work weekends unless you are on a high-burn project.
It really sucks and you shouldn't do it though of course it's necessary for some roles/time periods.
I often worked weekends at my old jobs and just accepted it. Then I got a more chill position where I rarely work weekends and I cannot imagine going back. I need time to myself to recharge, read, work on side projects, etc. It would be very difficult for me to have the life I want consistently working weekends.
whats the protocol on having to work weekends? (Originally Posted: 10/18/2008)
hey everyone ive gotten stuck having to work this weekend, and i was just wondering what everyone's stances are on beating off in the office. is this kosher? anyone have any tips on how to do it and not get caught? ive gotten caught before at the hedge fund i used to work at, my boss walked in and i ran out of the office and didnt come back until that monday, and i got fired. thanks in advance
haha
Depends on corporate culture, some environments even conduce it as it increases productivity and relieves banking stress. Maybe you should talk to your MD about it.... if your compulsive about beating off technically they can't fire you.
yup definitely. check with one of your MDs. he might be able to provide you with some literature, a dvd or forward you a link that isn't blocked by the company.
Before all this political correctness, a Wall Street master of the universe never had to "take matters into his own hands". If he felt the urge, he'd just throw a quick shot into his secretary and get back to work.
Ask HR.
Everybody's working for the weekend! (Originally Posted: 07/23/2012)
The inspiration for today’s post came from a crazy new experience I had this weekend. Apparently this is a “thing” in the Bay Area, but it was all new to me. I went oyster shucking at Tomales Bay, and it was awesome! A couple of my friends dragged me along to go, and it was a nice break from the normal weekend routine that we (my roommates and I) have.
Then this got me thinking – the funny thing about life after college is how quickly you find yourself falling into routines. I’m not talking about your work routine, but rather the things you do outside of work. In my experience at least, my friends and I seem to gravitate to and subsequently cycle through one of four phases: rage mode, workout mode, travel mode, or exotic experience mode. Allow me to elaborate in a (somewhat) tongue in cheek fashion (NB – all anecdotes are set in San Francisco):
It’s funny even sitting back and thinking about how we cycle through this progression..anyway, but seriously I turn it back to you guys. Do you find yourselves falling into similar sorts of “non-work” routines? Modes 1 and 2 seem to be almost universal among the “work hard, play hard” crowd, but I’d be interested to hear how people facilitate them in other cities.
to the point, really good post. im in travel mode right now
I think I was stuck in Mode 1 from 23 - 30 years old...
Great post, I'm cycling into workout mode.
solid post, spot on. i mix in some golf which can work with all 4 phases.
I'm in SF too and I relate to everything you just said f except I avoid Ruby Skye at all costs. My split is 90% #1 & 2. 5% #3, 5% #4 of my weekends
I'll add one addendum. The listed modes pertain to the singles lifestyle, for those who are lucky / unlucky enough to be in a relationship, replace #1 with:
Couple Mode Do couple stuff together - have brunch, walk around the park / stores, try that neat little "insert random cafe / desert / bakery" you always pass by but never go into. Enjoy / pretend to enjoy quality time together. Explain to single friends that you don't want to go out to Ruby Skye/Vessel/Infusion/The Grand/Mighty/Manor West/Insert Club Name here cause, well you're not single anymore...
HAH! i was about to put "girlfriend mode" where you give up going out, working out, or advancing your career to spend time with a soul-sucking leech. beat me to the punch.
i'll add a few more:
"Career Mode", where you spend time outside of work advancing your career. you could be studying for the GMATs or the CFA. you could be spending a lot of time reading the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, various books on business and your industry. maybe you learn VBA or another programming language. essentially doing whatever it takes to be the titan of industry you aspire so much to be. once the thoughs of suicide become too frequent, you usually come out of this mode and go into:
"just fuck it mode": You're experiencing burnout from the above mentioned modes so you stop working out, go through the motions at work, avoid driving out to meet with friends or make plans, and put studying for the GMAT or whatever else on the backburner. instead you go straight home after work and drink beers by yourself while watching reruns of "How I Met Your Mother" until you knock out. this is usually a transitional mode i go through in between other modes..
Great post, I enjoyed it! I have been stuck in the third and fourth "modes" for a while and it has been great. Getting into workout mode now... Just want to build myself up all around.
To the OP: You live in CALIFORNIA brah!!... Get out there!
So incredibly accurate. SB for you.
After every rage mode I tell myself that I need to get my shit together and that I'm done with alcohol. So I'll start a health nut routine of lifting/krav maga/racquetball/riding bike everywhere/pescatarianism, until I realize how incredibly boring I've become. Then I'll decide that I need to go somewhere and go somewhere fast. This leads to random-ass shit ranging from paddle boarding in utah to 5 day excursions into the forest (or at least preparing for them before realizing I'll never be able to pull that off). Once I realize I can't not work I start drinking. It's a vicious cycle.
This pretty much sums of my life. Specifically rage mode -> career mode - > just fuck it mode and repeat. I've thought as I got older I would shift more of my rage mode time to career mode time but that has yet to happen.
dude read my mind
Spot on. Got rid of rage mode early. However, I jumped directly to travel mode & Exotic experience mode. I haven't seen the end of both yet.
Man...I fit in just a little too perfect into these four simple but well observed modes
Literally laughed out loud...has someone just been following me around this whole time and taking notes? haha
Yeah, that's what I was gong for haha. It's sad how much truth there is in the comedy. Anyone watch Trailer Park Boys? I had to throw the shitblizzard reference in there. God bless Mr. Leahey. That crazy fucker.
So who's working this weekend? (Originally Posted: 05/27/2007)
So who's working this weekend?
Does being in the library count? Probably not, but I am "working".
cry.
"Living the dream 24/7 on http://theallnighter.blogspot.com"
Nice blog, funny (and very true) stuff in there.
Working on the Weekend When No One Asks You to (Originally Posted: 09/08/2013)
My friends say I'm sick, but I actually love it. I feel like I get to learn a lot without the pressure of having to do day-to-day tasks.
Do you think it comes across as too try-hard?
I come home from work and read accounting material/build models to keep learning. If you're passionate about something and want to keep learning, who the hell cares. It's impossible to comprehend other people's passions. If you're going in to just say that you went it...then you really need to get a fkin life.
I actually did work. I didn't work as hard as I would on a weekday, or as long, but I was there to work on a project that is rather quantitatively involved and only have the tools to work on at work. I wanted to get more comfortable with it, because it's not exactly the kind of finance you learn in undergrad.
It's good to go in on Sunday regardless for a few hours as a first year/intern for a little facetime. Expense your lunch/dinner, check over work that you finished friday for monday, catch up on the WSJ whatever. Don't go in on Saturdays unless you have to or your group is that intense that you need to put in saturday facetime.
I would avoid doing work ahead of time though. You don't want to do a ton of work on sunday for shit due wednesday just to come in on mon/tues and have the comp set or other assumptions change on you. Or they may say "Hey don't do these slides after all do these slides instead." Only get shit done early say for tuesday if you know for a fact you're going to be crushed with other stuff monday night.
Tempora facilis fugit aut ex et enim sed. Soluta accusantium modi sunt ut error voluptatibus. Ex quis non dolor perspiciatis ut quaerat. Modi eveniet rem voluptates dicta rerum. Distinctio quis voluptatem quo atque nam numquam dolorem velit.
In sed aut blanditiis rerum adipisci est. Expedita voluptatem perferendis magni error cumque sunt unde sequi.
Voluptas iusto optio quo voluptatem. Facere necessitatibus quae veniam odit et modi.
Corporis pariatur non quasi sit amet. Eum porro in laudantium qui maiores qui. Error aut neque iusto et tempore. Laboriosam et delectus soluta hic. Amet voluptas soluta reprehenderit incidunt quasi iste repellendus. Aut fugit laboriosam beatae ut. Sunt a nihil voluptas corporis et.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Omnis pariatur asperiores iure qui ab accusamus aut. Omnis accusamus sapiente earum dolor qui et qui. Ut saepe rerum incidunt. Illum sapiente impedit modi harum a harum ex. Officia rerum totam repudiandae delectus culpa deleniti quisquam.
Culpa quia eum mollitia autem hic modi. Adipisci enim eos sed reprehenderit rerum voluptatibus ex incidunt. Et ut ea rem illum laudantium cum. Modi ea quas eveniet laboriosam eaque nesciunt laboriosam.
Velit nobis voluptatibus nihil. Dolor animi et porro quisquam. Sit amet ea rem enim eum aut iure. Labore aut deleniti dolore.
Aliquid beatae aut assumenda architecto. Soluta ex corrupti cumque ab ut. Necessitatibus velit voluptas voluptatem tempora voluptatem rerum. Repellendus illum ut assumenda. Itaque temporibus iste ut ut laboriosam voluptatem.
Voluptas laborum et quibusdam quae voluptas accusamus. Et minima consequatur et error possimus dolores consequuntur. Consectetur alias repudiandae itaque omnis aut. Ad et nihil illum illum necessitatibus.
Qui consequatur quos quis aperiam natus qui. Iste facilis vitae perferendis voluptatem aliquid rerum.
Sed enim id incidunt. Assumenda neque ullam occaecati aspernatur est rem. Sunt minima sit corrupti. Eum dolore ut qui deleniti cum quam ratione.