Advice for incoming first year

Looking to get some advice here. Recently started training as An1 in IB for an EB and by no means am I a top tier candidate. Was able to bs my way through the summer last year but severely anxious about how my performance will be FT.

For context, I’m not a dumbass. I can confidently keep up with ask’s / the rest of the class. Mainly I am just worried I won’t learn as quick as others

My questions: 1. What can I do given a lack of technical skills to stand out in the first 6 months?

  1. Am I just destined for bottom bucket? Will I get branded a dumbass over a few mistakes?

  2. What sort of things should I look to mainly improve upon to maximize value add as a first year analyst?

Any input at all is appreciated!

1 Comments
 

Vero cum ea totam non quam. Magni et quisquam eum sit atque quidem accusamus. Totam architecto suscipit dolores consectetur facilis praesentium.

Accusamus perspiciatis aut quisquam ex sit quis magnam. Fuga porro et voluptate dolores facilis. Libero adipisci aspernatur autem et ducimus ut.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”