2nd Year Analyst - Ready to Quit
Going on to my second year, yet another 3 am night. The last year has felt like 10, beyond ready to quit. Someone convince me otherwise.
this job sucks.
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Do it nerd. Being post-MBA, it doesn’t matter who my analyst is. That little three letter credential means I can think strategically, so I’ll once again be responding “will do” to the VP then forwarding all the comments right over to you. Now excuse me, I just finished my third night cap and need to settle in for a cozy 9.5hrs of sleep while you keep grinding, monkey boy.
I need to change my title, but left IB last year. Here’s what you do:
Have an exit lined up and mentally quit. What this means: if you get a request past 1am—Don’t respond or say “sorry I need to get rest”, or punt it to the rest of the team. Begin being slow to respond to things or letting people know you will complete that deliverable in 15/ 20 minutes, or in a few hours.
Here’s what you need to realize: this business model is structured in a way that they know the second years will burnout. However, also realize that with a year of experience knowing how banking works and how your firm works you are still a very valuable employee even if you work only 9am-11pm and pushback frequently. The key is to be really reliable when you are on/ when the need arises, but also pushback on the bullshit. If people have a problem/ you get confronted, calmly explain that you set x boundary, but otherwise are putting out great work. Also, “you will be sure to do better going forward” Additionally, make sure there are a few key individuals that you like at the firm (references) that you continue doing your best for.
In reality, what happens is it takes awhile for the firm to realize you are half assing the job/ have checked out and by the time they realize it, you give your two weeks and are on to bigger and better things.
Welcome to being a second year lol, where everyone is checked out and going through the motions, but you still are somehow more useful than the first years and post MBA associates.
Edit: I want to add as well: the second year can be great because you should be able to delegate many tasks and if not complete many of the BS you used to struggle with very quickly. As a result, you should start being able to really strategically add value and think about what is going on. Something to remember broadly—most business people have never seen a transaction. If you have seen even 2, you are legitimately qualified to provide some advice/ will have a better understanding than many c-suite execs will regarding a sale process. It’s a weird paradigm shift that really begins to occur after year 1.