Guide to becoming a STAR IB analyst

Since summer analyst and 1st years will be joining soon, I thought it would be helpful for everyone to understand what makes someone a STAR analyst. I wanted to make sure my advice was thorough, so I asked my colleagues at The Goldman Sachs, and they concurred.

A good analyst must be hard working, available, and deeply dedicated to their work. They must be willing and able to take criticism and "straight-up heat". Loyalty to the firm must be unquestionable. The idea of superiority should be felt, not thought, except in the face of senior analysts, associates, directors, managing directors, security, and janitorial staff. They must be willing to take the blame in any situation and accept their errors even in the case that they are correct. Face time is not recommended – it is required – even in the case that no other employee is in the office. An analyst will not receive credit, even if your work is done solely by them. Analyst must not complain about being hungry, thirsty, or sick at critical times in the deal process (often times, critical time periods last the whole duration of the deal process).