I will be starting FT at a MM IBD in about a month and was wondering if it is worth it to invest heavily into a nice wfh setup or just get the bare minimum. We haven’t gotten any info about when we’re going in office etc.
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Assuming you don't have to buy your own laptop, its probably pretty safe to get two monitors, keyboard and mouse. The monitors don't have to be nice, always a nice touch to have monitors with a mode that is easier on your eyes. The keyboard and mouse it's probably better to have nicer stuff but at EoD these don't get THAT expensive. Would say ~$600 should suffice for everything combined.
Yes, you need to get a wfh setup. Here is why—even if you are forced to go into the office, weekends you will not be and will not want to likely. Also, if you get the flu, or have a plumber coming or some other issue that requires you to be home, it’s very important. Practically, I cannot tell you how common it is to get woken up on a Sunday or Saturday by a request to do only an hour or 2 hours of work in this job. Having to drag yourself hungover into the office for a small request like this because you lack the proper setup is a recipe for disaster. It will makes you seem less responsive and will make your life harder than it needs to be. Further, WFH has blurred the lines of what/ when an acceptable request is. There are times where I have been at the office, gone home, and was requested to do an hour of work post 1am. Having to do this off a laptop would be just miserable. You make enough as an IB analyst and can use monitors and a docking station for 6+ years—skimping on dual monitors and a good setup just isn’t worth it. If you are really penny pinching, don’t eat out, aim for a place with lower rent, buy cheap drinks, etc.
Here is what you need:
A good keyboard, a mouse, two monitors, two hdmi cords/ ways to connect your monitor, a docking station/ port. All in, it’s a ~$600 expense to do right and it’s worth every single freaking penny to make it as comfortable as possible. This job sucks, don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be. This isn’t the place to skimp out or be cute—you will end up rebuying or regretting not purchasing a good wfh setup if you don’t, I don’t know an analyst who doesn’t have one.
^This. No reason to be cheap when you’re already making some good change in this job; a solid wfh setup makes your life way better/easier, although I’d say $1k to $1.5k is more appropriate IMO. My setup:
-Two large 4K monitors
-Good keyboard and mouse along with mousepad with wrist guard
-Airpods
-Wireless charger that will keep your phone tilted vertically while charging. Also good for always keeping your AirPods charged
-Comfortable chair with lower back support
-Printer (this is probably not needed, but I occasionally like to print certain pages)
OP here. Thanks for the comments and tips, seems like it makes a lot of sense to get a solid setup. Any recommendations on specific monitors (24 inch vs 27 inch, curved vs not, etc)? I’m by no means a tech guru and there seem to be a ton of options that all look relatively similar so I wasn’t sure what to go with. Also, I have a decent Corsair keyboard but it isn’t mechanical, do you think I should upgrade to a mechanical or just stick with what I got? Thanks again for the info guys!
I have been looking into monitors and some people say you don’t need 4K for IB work. Assuming you have 4K monitors, are they worth the extra money compared to a lower resolution? Thanks
bro just wants to watch his porn in 4k and you know it
Would love to get some suggestions on keyboards, please.
Mechanical Das Keyboard Professional with the Cherry MX Brown so they are more quiet for the office/roomates.
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