Incoming FT analyst complacency - what to do?

Hey guys,

I am an incoming FT analyst a top EB/BB group in NY (think Evercore/Moelis/CVP). Due to the way the SA2020 program went, I barely did much work (pulled 2 2-AM nights on very admin stuff, on other days I did at most 5-6 hours of actual work) to obtain my return offer. 

Now I am feeling extremely complacent. All I have done this year is hit the gym, play video games, and drink with my roommates. I barely have the motivation to do well in school (took all of the easiest courses). If the grinding me from 2 years ago saw this, he would have been very disappointed at how bad I am right now (I wake up at noon, spend hours on Youtube and Messenger, etc). 

Is this normal? How have you guys dealt with the pre-FT analyst complacency? 

24 Comments
 

You word for word described this semester. It is definitely hard to go from hustling to nothing, but like everyone is probably telling you just relax. If we keep stressing about it full-time we'll just end up suffering twice (once now and when we start). Towards the end of the semester, I plan on brushing up on some basic technicals, but till then it's back to enjoying this weird virtual senior year. 

Cheers on the full-time btw!

 

This is spot on. I stressed about starting FT and it did absolutely nothing. 

Even during your analyst stint - I've seen many analysts stressing about getting staffed when they have some downtime instead of actually enjoying said downtime.

Nothing you can do now will prepare you so enjoy your time off. 

 

Whatever they say about enjoying your time prior to banking is completely true. Make the most of it cuz you won't have too much time once you start working. 

If you all are really feeling unproductive or feel like you're wasting your lives away, then I guess you can study for the GMAT or start preparing for PE interviews by cranking out LBO models. Knew a few guys in college who were doing this. I personally wanted to enjoy my senior year and have fun for once in my life after having secured a banking offer. I don't regret it. Plus, you never know how life is going to change down the road. I'm neither interested in going to B School or doing PE now so all of that time would have gone to waste anyways. Also, one of the guys who I knew who was cranking out LBOs in his senior year got an offer from an MF in his first year but ended up foregoing it to run his family business before he started his PE job

 

2nd year checking in, need to change my title, but nah I literally played Xbox and partied up until the weekend I moved to New York. After that switched gears and did the full time thing with my head down and got top bucket marks.

it’s also Covid, it’s hard to feel like the world is yours at times and that’s okay. Enjoy the time off - you’ll have other things to worry about you didn’t even think about growing up for the most part. 

 

Same position - incoming FT in London. I finish my degree in three weeks so finishing up my thesis. Otherwise I have been keeping busy by starting 2 side hustles based on some skills I wanted to learn, and been hitting the gym hard & keeping a good diet so have been making some solid gains in strength & physique. 

Do whatever you feel like! Each to their own, there is definitely no blame for just relaxing and doing whatever one feels like in this period. I just personally prefer to stay busy, especially when Covid is limiting the options.

 

1st year here, my biggest regret about my senior slump was not working out more. I'm not a gym junkie but I'm very used to fitting in 3-4x 1 hour workouts and just generally being active, and nowadays I'm fortunate to even fit in 1 full workout for an hour a week. Most times I'll go in and have to cut the workout short, if I even have time to do so. If I were you I'd take the free time and just fill it with things you want to do that you can't do as easily while working (hang with friends, workout, etc). You can always binge Youtube when you're working full time anyways

 

Same here man. Conscious decision. A few months left of freedom, what, are you gonna study your ass off? It's really nice to not having to worry about anything for a while before the world comes crashing down on you sooner than you realize. With this pandemic we can't go travelling or go clubbing or anything, might as well just do you for a while. Chill out.

 

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