SA Smoke Break?

Incoming SA at MM bank, I do not smoke that much but I usually smoke cigarettes like twice or thrice a day to stay awake. I do not get anything through coffee and nicotine helps me. Is it a bad look to get a smoke on break? I barely smoke twice a day and I cannot vape since I do not like it and nicotine gum is weird for me, I just have an addiction to tobacco tbh, something with the taste.

Point is, would this affect me in terms of a return offer and negative rep? office has a balcony which is a smoke zone 2 floors down btw.

33 Comments
 

Just find the smokers in your team and go together with them. Of nobody in your team smokes you don't wanna work there

 

Why is a group having a smoker or not part of which group you'd work in? There are lots of very valid health reasons for people not to smoke and/or have quit smoking. Just judge people on work product, not on irrelevant things like smoking or not. 

 

Depends on group culture. Frankly in the Americas, there are not many smokers, some people vape and some others may do zyn's but most juniors do not do it in public in the office. Have worked across only in a BB, but would assume it's similar.

Either way, it does not matter to me. Frankly, all that matters as an intern or analyst is that you do your work correctly, have a good attitude, and are professional. However, I will be honest with you and tell you in the Americas it could indeed give you a negative rep if certain people find out. Lots of people strongly against smoking might hold some initial negative opinions on you if you haven't worked with them yet. That said, work product trumps all and if your work product is good nothing else should matter.

 

FWIW, I wouldn’t want to sit near you if you reek of cig smoke. Not being holier than thou or anything (I rip Zyns all day, I get it) just being honest. Would strongly consider making the switch to a vape / zyn / etc. Banking is a client service business and eventually you’ll meet clients in person too. They might have even stronger views than I just expressed.

 

This is the only issue IMHO.  If the smell is going to linger a long time and bother your neighbor, that's going to reflect badly.

But I don't know how long it lingers and whether that can be mitigated.  If you can avoid that problem then go ahead and smoke.  I don't agree at all with the 1-2 other posts suggesting that people will judge you for it.  Nobody's going to care unless you're bothering them.

Problem with other nicotine products is for a lot of smokers, they don't often don't satisfy the craving.  Nicotine is the primary driver of addiction but it's assisted by 7,000 other chemicals in the smoke.

OP you have 4+ months to try and reduce your dependency on cigs.  Use every tool you can including other nicotine products.  And think about ways to reduce the the smell in case you still need a few puffs as an SA.

 

I agree, I am trying to leave it by smoking half of it and leaving it out there. Definitely fucks up your lungs and have to make sure I leave it soon regardless of SA stint or not.

 

Drop the cigs.

If I gotta sit next to some loser who reeks of smoke we're throwing hands

You can catch flies with honey, but you can catch more honeys looking fly
 

Highly recommend you find a way to curb your cig habit for your career. Nobody is really going to like you that much more for being a smoker, but there are going to be quite a few people who will judge you more negatively - from a smell perspective, opinion perspective, and from a perception you're not working as hard perspective if you're taking more breaks.

 

Only goated part of working in Europe is you can rip cigs with the partners as an intern.

 

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