Am I at a toxic boutique?
ignore position I’m in coverage
I lateraled to a boutique from a MM. Team is tiny. I don’t have an associate I’m working in a highly specialized asset-heavy industry coverage group. I work for a VP who’s grinding me a new one. I’m very new to the job + coverage role and they knew this before hand when hiring me. But lately I’ve been getting scolded for not knowing certain things I.e my vp made comments like “I don’t think you would’ve even known to ask this.”
I’m very new to this industry coverage and they knew this when hiring me. This team has had a bit of a hire and fire culture which doesn’t make my situation easier.
I’ve been working on live pitches by myself, my VP has provided zero guidance, just vague instructions on what he wants. Whenever I try to schedule time and ask for help + guidance for a task I have never worked on in my life he just says I should know how to do this. I am walking on eggshells around this guy I feel anxiety everyday and feel my mental health is in jeopardy. Started smoking again because the stress is killing me. I just want to do a good job but feel that I’m not good enough because I keep getting scolded every time I give him work.
For example, i am working on a pitch deck first time at this firm and I tried asking what he was looking for on the pitch from start to finish in terms of topics + outline. He just basically told me to figure it out on my own. I am trying my best here but I don’t feel like I have been adequately on-boarded here + I can’t even get a question on what he wants. But whenever I give him work he scolds me and gets mad at me for not asking for help but whenever I do he just mocks my knowledge on this space so I’m afraid of being around him.
Another example is the modelling. I am building very intense models that the old associate used to make before he was fired. I am building all these models on my own for the first time which has been an incredible learning experience however I just wish I could be walked through with a bit of guidance “hey this is how I’d go about it” or “this is how we do this here” so I know I can meet expectations. I’m only a few months in the job but I can feel things not going well.
Is this normal in Ib as an analyst? Should I look to jump ship? It’s only been a few months but I feel like it’s hell every day. I am worried about getting fired I think the next step is he starts documenting me. I didn’t feel this in my last investment banking job. I had the scolding here and there but not like this. I could ask questions from an associate who walked me through how things are done at the firm, but not here. Am I expecting too much? Is this how it’s supposed to be.
Bump sounds like ur job blows dude
Just so I'm clear, your instructions on putting a pitch together are "this is the company, you should figure it out". If yes, then your VP is an ass.
Doesn’t give me any instructions on what the models should look like + a proper outline for the pitch just told me to figure it out on my own and I should know what to do this.
Yeah no, that's not how it works. I have some element of "figure it out" in mine, e.g., how the models / outputs should look but the ideas, messaging and expectations have to be laid out for the juniors.
So the answer to your question on toxicity is yes.
Just want to confirm - any diversity hires on any sides of the situation? We need someone easy to throw under the bus here
I’m white the VP is diversity
Ya don’t say….
Just curious, what is the industry coverage group?
Sounds like you are in a bad spot and should start looking.
In the interim you should dig out old work (pitch decks, company presentation, models, etc.) from the same or similar companies and use them as reference points.
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which boutique is this? Please DM
I'm sorry you're going through this, OP.
As someone who's been in a similar situation, and then some, the best you can do is just keep putting out quality work (relative to the fact that there is zero guidance) and make sure to leave a paper trail at the very least.
In addition, many ways to go about this, but make sure other folks at the firm are well aware of your proactiveness, capabilities that are simply being cut off at the knees by said VP. If the firm / team is as small as you say, it's a matter of time before others find out about the VP's tendencies. And if they already know, unfortunately, you may just need to push through as you have been doing, but one ease of mind will be that the worst scenario of being penalized due to the lack of guidance by the VP is likely not in the works as everyone realizes that you're doing your best with the resources you have.
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