Advise needed, please help
Hi fellow monkeys,
First of all, I apologise for this lengthy post. I know some of you would take the time to read this and I am very thankful to you. I am an M&A intern (not product, I am industry group) at a BB in London. I have been at my desk for a few weeks now and actually need advise on a lot of things. Any advise will be greatly appreciated, wholeheartedly. Questions posed are italicised.
i. My team and culture at the junior level is very toxic. It's like middle school. Even though the junior team is lean (less than 10 people), somehow, they've managed to organise themselves in groups. They talk, laugh and giggle only in those groups. People don't respond to basic remarks like 'good morning', and don't include me in their chats - unless I organically seek into their conversation. This has been upsetting as it seems like the junior peers don't actually care. I am a very friendly person - and this has not been very pleasant
Please advise, what should I do? Just scale back talking and stick to my work? Is that enough to get me a return offer? (sometimes I wonder do I even want a return offer from this place - it will be nice to have as a backup but definitely not top bucket)
ii. The team is very facetime oriented. Sometimes if I finish early say around 10:30pm or 11:00pm - is it a good idea to leave, given that no one on my project is in the office? Now I know many of you would say to ask around but there is a problem with that. There is one very lazy grad in the team who thinks he is an associate (just because he is super old, has an internship, lots of education....). He is the kind of guy if you ask will always have work for you no matter what time, just because he is very lazy to do it himself. So if I ask this guy, I can assure myself I will not finish before 1am any night. In terms of the others - I am quite sure when I finish with the project I am staffed on, and there are no remaining people from my deal team - other people working on other projects will not give me additional work at 11pm / 12am (unless I ask this lazy grad).
So, the question boils down to the above: okay to leave early if I'm done? Or should I destroy myself for the next few months, take on a couple of extra hours of work from this lazy grad every night (he is also super hard to work with - will literally point out every SINGLE mistake, or typo). Or will it be fine to leave if I have delivered all my deliverables and people staffed on my pitch have left?
iii. I have made a few mistakes here and people dont seem to be very happy. For instance, I messed up a comps section of a pitch (comps refresh and output to PPT). Made a mistake on a similar deliverable for lazy grad - and he spoke very loudly to me in front of the whole office all juniors could here (it was night so no seniors were there). The task was not something I was staffed on, but it was something he pawned off to me as he was lazy to do it himself, but in the end he had to redo it because of my mistake ahaha.
Goes without saying, I am better from the time I started, understand a lot of the things I've done, and learnt from them - and will for sure not make the same mistakes again. How okay are these mess ups?
iv. The juniors again:
These guys are actually a pain. For instance, sometimes you message them and they dont reply or then they are very rude. For context, I once asked an analyst if he saw a presentation. Instead of just simply saying yes or no, he said 'did you check here', then of course I went there and checked and found it. He's then like - the stuff your working on is x vertical so obviously it will be here..... Its like anything you ask this dude, he guns you down. On the other instance, I mentioned above how I have been spoken to quite loudly, by a graduate with a superiority complex. This other A2, I told him I would need to push his deliverable by a bit (appreciate I had already asked for an extended deadline), but I got asked by our group head to do something. And this A2 is like - just FKN do it. Like they dont know how to speak, are rude, loud sometimes, it is all very disheartening.
I am very confused what to do, and appreciate any advice!!
With warm wishes,
countingbananas
Hello countingbananas,
Navigating a toxic work environment, especially as an intern, can be incredibly challenging. Here are some strategies and insights based on the WSO content that might help you manage your situation more effectively:
1. Dealing with a Toxic Team Culture: - Stay Professional and Cordial: Continue to be friendly and professional, regardless of how others may act. This maintains your reputation as a team player. - Seek Allies: Try to find at least one or two people within the team who you can connect with. Sometimes, having even a single ally can make a big difference in your daily work life. - Document Interactions: Keep a record of interactions that you find troubling, especially if they escalate. This can be useful if you ever need to report behavior to HR or discuss it during reviews.
2. Managing Facetime Culture: - Understand Expectations: Since your office values facetime, leaving early might be risky unless it's commonly accepted. Observe what others at your level do. - Communicate with Your Manager: If possible, discuss your working hours with your manager. Explain your efficiency and see if there can be some flexibility on this front. - Avoid Overreliance on Difficult Colleagues: If certain colleagues consistently overburden you with work, try to find ways to politely decline or manage their expectations about your availability.
3. Handling Mistakes: - Learn and Move Forward: Everyone makes mistakes, especially interns who are still learning. The key is to learn from these mistakes and not repeat them. - Seek Feedback: After completing tasks, proactively ask for feedback. This shows your commitment to improvement and may help mitigate negative reactions to errors.
4. Addressing Issues with Juniors: - Maintain Professionalism: When dealing with rude or unhelpful colleagues, keep your interactions as professional as possible. Don’t mirror their behavior. - Escalate if Necessary: If the behavior of your colleagues is affecting your work or well-being, consider discussing it with a trusted mentor or HR. Sometimes, intervention from a higher authority can help resolve persistent issues.
5. General Advice: - Focus on Your Learning and Development: Regardless of the team dynamics, focus on what you can learn during your internship. This experience is valuable for your future, whether you decide to stay at this company or move on. - Evaluate Your Career Goals: Reflect on whether this environment aligns with your career aspirations and personal well-being. Sometimes, the best decision might be to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Remember, your internship should be a learning experience, not just about the work you do but also about navigating workplace dynamics. Use this time to build resilience and professional skills that will serve you well throughout your career.
Warm regards, Max the Monkey
Sources: The Promised Land of Private Equity Turned out to be a "Monster Land", Advice for London applicants, What is life like in an IB satellite office?, How to deal with a recession career-wise? A few lessons learned during the previous GFC, WSO 2022 Investment Banking Work-Conditions Survey (Part 1/3)
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