How to manage long hours when you're not used to it

Hi all, hoping to get a bit of wisdom from some of the harder worked around here....

figured this would be better off in the banking forum as you're more used to the hours.

Bit of background - I'm an M&A consultant with experience in all stages of the deal cycle (diligence - signing - Integration - TSA exit). Hours are pretty good usually call it 9-8 with a 5pm finish on Fridays (if I put in a few hours on the weekend). Have had some experience with projects outside these hours maybe adding 15 - 20 hours a week / some diligence projects which are much longer but usually last a week or two..

My issue is the latest project i've been on has been on average 10am - 2am Monday - Friday for the last month (with some 3/4am finishes) + another 15/20 hours on the weekend. I live about 40 minutes away too which means I get home around 3 and have to leave the house by 9. The project has been fantastic from a learning and growth standpoint however, we've been extended for another 2 weeks and i'm not sure I can hack it...

The team is great, i'm getting a lot of responsibility but i'm just struggling to deal with another two weeks of this. Anyone whose a bit more seasoned with this got any tips?

thanks

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Hang in there. You can do it! You have only two more weeks to go!

The biggest problem is your commute. I worked regularly from 2am to 9am but I lived 10 minutes from the office. First, it's an extra 1-1.5 hours of sleep that makes all the difference in the world when you are sleep deprived (trust me). Second, it's dangerous assuming you are driving.

If I were in your shoes, I would get a super cheap Airbnb near the office during the week. I'd do Monday through Thursday night. But even just 1 or 2 nights would be helpful. Just to get extra sleep.

But maybe you don't even have to pay yourself. If these hours are out of the norm for your office, then you should bring this up with the most senior person on your project. You have already been working like this for a month with a good attitude, so it's not like they can accuse you of complaining. But explain that you almost got into a car accident on the way home (lie if you have to) and/or your health and productivity has been really suffering because of the long hours. Propose the cheap Airbnb / hotel idea and ask them if you can get reimbursed. If this is a consulting project, it will get charged back to the client anyways!

Other things you can do is to call in sick one day. But then just sleep in a few extra hours and work the rest of the day remotely from home. People will actually give you more credit for being a trooper. Seriously.

There are a lot of tricks but you have to be willing to think outside of the box.

 

Est iusto atque rerum accusantium possimus nulla. Occaecati sunt totam sapiente hic ad. Voluptatem enim vel eum aspernatur eaque vel.

Est totam aperiam sapiente provident fugit. Voluptate ut laborum molestias sit aut facilis voluptas repellat. Voluptas ex quaerat cupiditate nihil officiis ad repellat. Officiis doloremque ullam odit dignissimos aperiam fuga hic. Omnis ipsum molestiae est illo.

Occaecati et eos laudantium. Qui dicta autem odio et voluptas blanditiis consequatur qui. Facilis nemo ipsam odio harum ratione suscipit qui. Commodi ullam quia consectetur iusto iusto totam sint rem.

Sed harum veritatis enim. Eos sunt consequuntur temporibus voluptatum. Perferendis totam numquam maxime nihil.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”