Q&A: 2nd Year MM IB Analyst

Below are a few tips (based on my experience and some of the other great posts on this site):

1. Be the first one in the office. If your MD/VP/Associate need anything, you should be able to help them out.
2. Double-check your work. And then check it again. And then check it again when you print it. Always print out all your work that's going to a superior or the client - errors stick out on paper.
3. Try to stay abreast with industry news or news applicable to your group. It might seem hazy at first but in time, you'll start making connections and get a better feel for the competitive landscape and industry trends.
4. Have a great attitude. You're going to get slammed and you're going to work long hours but do it without complaining or making it seem like an insurmountable task.
5. Talk to your senior analysts for best practices and implement them from Day 1. Over time, these will pay off.
6. Take a step back from your work from time to time and try and understand why you're doing what you're doing. Look at it from an investor's perspective. Why is this important? It might be tough to do that when you're knee deep in work at 3 am in the morning for the fourth day in a row but those extra 10 - 15 minutes a day will make a world of difference as you move on. This is another way of saying "Take ownership of your work and pretend as though you have to present it to a client"
7. Ask questions (after thinking them through) initially. No one expects you to know everything as a first year. The last thing they want is for you to just spin your wheels.
8. Remember that there are tons of people on this site and otherwise who would switch spots with you in a heartbeat. This helped drive me during some of those 100 - 120 hour weeks.