Only non-SA in my incoming analyst class. How far behind am I / Advice?
Hey everyone,
Looking for some advice from anyone who has navigated this or seen it from the desk.
Background: I'm graduating from a non-target school. My junior summer internship was at a Fund of Funds, but I networked heavily during FT recruiting and managed to land an IB offer at a solid MM (think JEF / RBC / HL).
The Situation: I am the only incoming first-year analyst in my group who wasn't a returning summer analyst. The rest of my class already knows the firm's systems, the formatting preferences, the senior bankers, and maybe most importantly they already know each other.
I know I have a steep learning curve ahead coming from FoF, and I'm ready to grind, but I want to be smart about how I approach hitting the desk.
A few questions for the group:
1 Technical & Process Prep: What should I focus on between now and training so I don't look lost next to the returning SAs?
2 Expectations: Do associates and VPs actually give FT-only hires a slight grace period to learn the ropes, or am I expected to perform at the exact same level as the returners on day one?
3 Social Integration: Any tips on integrating into an analyst class that already bonded over their 10-week summer stint without forcing it?
Appreciate any insights or hard truths you guys can share. Thanks.
Bump
Was in a similar situation but don't have to worry. Group won't really expect any more from you than they will from all the others. In terms of social integration, the only thing is that most people will know each other from when they interned. It's very much like making new friends in college as a freshman.
Good to know, thanks for the insight. Did you do any prep work before hitting the desk to close the gap, or do you recommend just enjoying the time off before training starts?
Don’t think either work product or social integration will be much of an issue. The internship really wasn’t long enough to get any of us too far off the ground; we’re all coming in pretty much the same as we did last summer. Socially, it depends on how large your class is and what group placement is like. For training, if you’re part of a larger class, then it is like transferring into a new college after freshman year. But that isn’t to say it’s all that hard to get to know people when you’re sitting next to each other 24/7. And if you’re placing into a specific group with let’s say five other first years, then you’re bound to get to know each other.
Appreciate the insight. Good to know the 10-week gap isn't huge. Given that, would you recommend brushing up on anything specific over the next month or so?
Huge W landing a great role from FoF. Congratulations.
You don’t need to worry about anything right now; the hard part is done and you can celebrate a bit.
Appreciate the kind words. Definitely going to take your advice and just enjoy the next month or so of freedom before the real grind starts. Thanks again.
Do you mind sharing a bit on your ft process? How did you prep for technicals and what sorts of questions did you encounter in your interviews?
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