Incoming SA Second Thoughts

I'm starting my summer analyst stint next week and starting to have second thoughts on working in IB. I'm really nervous about the hours, personalities, and that it might not be the right fit. Any advice on making it through the summer?

15 Comments
 

You can do anything for a few months. Go in with an open mind - you might like your group and/or the work and decide it's not so bad. Worst case, you decide not to do it FT and have a very prestigious internship to put on the resume as you pivot to somewhere else.

 

Definitely not, training will be the lightest week of the summer in terms of hours at the office. Is your firm using Training the Street? I would expect to get out around 5 or 6pm most days, with maybe one later night (8 or 9pm) depending on how long it takes you to finish the homework assignments. Take advantage of the earlier nights this week and go to happy hour with your classmates to get to know them better.

 

Yeah - honestly just try to have as open a mind as possible and try to look at the analysts to see if they are miserable in your group / firm (spoiler alert - they very well might be) but you then have to ask yourself if you're cool with that for a few years in order to open the door to future opportunities - all about trade offs and you want to figure out if being a banker for a bit will help you reach your long term goals.

 
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Congrats on landing the SA gig. It sounds like this will be perfect for you, you'll be able to feel out if IB is a good fit for your career.

  • Hours: Hours may suck at times, but you'll be able to know that it's only for summer. A sprint not a marathon. Also, when an assignment or something is looking bleak I like to crack a joke with my coworkers to keep spirits up. Better to embrace the suck and face it head-on.
  • Personalities: Like most places, I'm sure there will be some real dickheads. Stay positive and don't sink down to their level or be petty.
  • Right fit: That's exactly why this is such a great opportunity. You'll have a good idea when the SA is over if IB is something you want to pursue when you graduate.
  • Advice: Remember to do the right thing and put in the work. What did Dwight say? "When I'm about to do something, I ask myself, 'would an idiot do that thing?' If the answer is 'yes,' I don't do that thing."

Good luck.

 

Regarding the school comment, depending on the group and their alma maters, some people may be snobby, but you're basically at the same place they are from a non-target so don't let that get you down. Blend in by standing out with great work and act polished, and do your best to fit in socially. If someone's shallow enough to judge you based off your school, nothing you can really do. From a non/semi target as well and luckily didn't get this but its around for sure.

 

Some people may be pretentious assholes about it. I've always thought that mentality was very foolish. Wildly successful people have come out of no-name colleges from everywhere. Being an SA, you're knocking on the door of being employed right alongside the "target" graduates.

 

Congratulations on landing your SA internship. You got an offer from a non-target, which tells me you already know about hard work. Just keep that same work ethic up during this summer and you'll do fine. Even if you decide it isn't for you, make the most of it by developing relationships with the other interns and make some good memories. Good luck.

 

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