Trying to keep this as generic as I can. I’m starting to notice a pattern where my boss asks me to do something because of reasons X, Y, and Z, but gets upset when I hand in my deliverable because he really cared about reasons A, B, and C, which he never mentioned.
Have you guys dealt with this before? Normally I’d push back a little, especially when I have his earlier emails telling me to do it one way, but this is my first time working at a hedge fund. I don’t want to annoy the guy who has sole discretion over my bonus.
No sure how long you have been at the place. I wouldn't try to win the argument (plus the bonus discretion part). Instead, I would position it as your fault (I know it's not): "Hey, I am really frustrated I am not getting you in the format you wanted, but I will try to do better" and repeat back to your boss what their reasons so you were on the same page at the moment of first instruction.
It is guaranteed to get better over time - working in small businesses (which a hedge fund is) is all about understanding your boss' idiosyncrasies. My sell-side boss gives me instructions like this: "Hey, can you send THAT FILE to John and tell him the data he is looking for in a YOU KNOW THAT TAB?" What file? Who is John? Which tab? In the beginning, I didn't have any system knowledge, but over time, I know John is his top client and personal friend. The file is a big data file and that tab is what John asks for every month when we refresh the Bloomberg data pull.
+1. One of my most successful hedge fund analyst friends attributed taking nonsense from his PM as the main reason he was successful in his career (low teens $M at 31 y/o). Just make sure your PM is good - else, leave.
Didnt know analysts could make that much! Is your friend at a 10bn+ fund?
This is highly situation dependent. Being an apologetic doormat is a sure fire way to lose all respect. The hard part about the HF business is you have to know when to stand up for yourself and square up nose-to-nose and when to eat some humble pie and keep your mouth shut.
Even though it’s known to be a highly meritocratic comp model, it’s still very subjective and there’s a lot of wiggle room. If you demonstrate you’re willing to take it up the ass and apologize in the process, come year end you’ll come to find out that magically your good ideas somehow give partial or full credit to your boss, and you’ve gotten partial or full credit for a bunch of his losers. Try telling him “I’m sorry I frustrate you by making you lose money on your ideas”.
Thanks for the advice guys. Seems like common wisdom is to really understand my boss and figure out what it is he actually wants vs what he asks for. I don’t mind redoing something because he wasn’t happy with how it turned out, It’s just annoying when I’m blamed for it.
I’ll add make sure your boss is reasonable. I had an adhd boss who’d ask for random crap all the time and I really felt it was a fools errand. He was known for hazing new analysts.
I didn’t tolerate it and put in my notice. Those last two weeks he took delight in making me miserable with crazy demands, threats of a bad reference forever, and even said I know your soon to be new boss and shared your shortcomings. I’m not taking heat for your incompetence when you inevitably let him down.
If I knew then what I know now. I would have given him a two weeks to notice instead of a two week notice.
My new boss did know him and said he was the epitome of an 80s Wall Street asshole.
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