Burning out
It's been around 1.5 year since I started my current IB role, and I'm starting to burn out. I'm can't give enough shit to reply to MDs fast enough on weekends or raising my hand to take on tasks. Definitely won't be able to take a vacation for another 1-2 months due to current live deals, but I don't know how I'm going to survive.
I just want to sleep in, take hikes on weekends, or grab coffee throughout the day instead of being glued to my desk.
What have you done to overcome this stage of your IB stint, and any realistic advice on how to "care" enough again? Thanks all.
Could not have came up with worse advice. Thank you, Intern.
lol you’re getting MS from people who think you’re serious
remember,
when the troll is average he gets SBs
when the troll is a genius he gets MSs
This has to be satire
Da Fuq??? JFC. That is some absolute shit terrible anti-science BS. Almost everything you wrote here is wrong.
Do not go on antidepressants at all. Those will negatively affect your health, decrease your testosterone and are only a coping mechanism. You have to ask yourself if you want to keep doing this job for the rest of your life. Be real with yourself. Only you know whats best for you. Perhaps you can pivot to a F500 Financial Analyst role? Idk. If not maybe consider a bank with a chiller work life balance schedule. If it makes you feel any better, I quit my Equity Research Associate role 1 year ago and will become an airline pilot. Ask yourself if IB is really for you and if it's what you want to do for the rest of your life. I would ask others who are in IB themselves and how they survive, but ask analysts or higher (people with more experience). Best of luck my friend.
If you made it 1.5 years before burning out of IB, you are already winning. Keep your chest up high you are crushing it.
In the same boat as you. I dread full Sundays of work because they are the norm. Haven't been able to take a break, see family, maintain any real relationship in forever. The job hunt continues to take dents because I don't have the time to prep. It all just feels so overwhelming and completely shit. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the 2 years and don't know how people before me have. I've worked over 100 hours every single week for the past 8 months, barring Christmas and Thanksgiving. The light is beginning to fade and I don't have many answers...
what type of group are you in that you've had this much work to do? or are you pitching a ton
Multiple live deals. I work on the M&A side but still have to work on decks. A huge amount of pointless pitching. On top of that, I work for a sweatshop.
This is not sustainable and very counterproductive. Are all the analysts at your firm pulling these hours?
They aren't. I just have gotten the misfortune of a few bad staffings lining up at the same time and currently there is no way out of it nor is there a place to hide.
“Burning out…” Then do it burnt out.
Do you want to get rich or not? Do you want to get rich or not???
Leave for the buy side is my advice. Now what specific role depends on what you like but don’t stay in a job you aren’t interested in when you have options
Book that vacation, even if it cant be for 1-2 months out. Vacation culture varies by bank/group but if your current team is relatively accommodating to your PTO then I would be firm with yourself and get something on the calendar. It's easy to say "well I cant take anything right now because im so busy" and then never book anything for the future, so actually having that time period to look forward to will help to mentally push through. In the meantime your best option is to communicate with deal team members regarding timing of certain tasks. If something doesn't need to be done for another 4 hours but you know it can be complete in an hour, then use that 3 hours to do anything else.
If you have a shit team that doesn't accommodate your time off respectfully then I'd begin considering a switch because it will never get better. That type of culture comes from the MD-level and likely will never change.
Would think about long term what you hope to do and time bound it. Eg I’m going to do 2yrs then b-school or ride out until YE when market recovers and peace out. Once you have a time in mind it’ll be easier to grind it out instead of working with no end in sight.
Agree with prior poster it helps to get that holiday in and have something to look forward to at each “mini” milestone.
I know it doesn’t help much but here’s a quote from Bismarck:
“Life is like being at the dentist. You always think that the worst is still to come, and yet it is already over”
Good luck
Get into some financial distress. that will make you appreciate the job
In all seriousness, consider making a large investment. Buy a house to fix up, start a side hustle business, something like that. Something to focus on on the side while you half ass work
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