Day 2 on Desk – No Work but Everyone’s Still Here at 10PM… What Would You Do?

Just started at a BB coverage group (FIG) this week. It’s my second day on desk and I have literally no live work tonight — my staffings are either super slow right now or the teams I’m on have already left.

Problem is… all the other new first-years (we all hit the desk yesterday) are still here at 10PM. Yesterday, I was the first to leave out of the group and I’m worried about looking like “the first to bail” two days in a row.

I get the whole optics thing in banking, especially early on, but I also don’t want to sit here pretending to work for hours just because no one else wants to be the first to stand up.

So:

Is it too early in my tenure to leave before others if I’m genuinely done?

  • Does “being the first out the door” in the first week actually stick as a reputation?
  • Or am I overthinking it and should just go home?

Curious how other analysts navigated this “first week optics” dynamic when there’s no real work but everyone’s still parked at their desks.

5 Comments
 

I feel like staying late is in case something comes up you not only get first dibs at it but you are also there for the guys who might need you. Also, I doubt there is no work at all. If I was there I’d try and get involved in some other learning opportunities but what do I know I am just a stupid intern.

 

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