Tips for being "good enough"

Incoming IB analyst here. Sure, there are going to be hardos who want to be top bucket and go on to mega funds and rule the world. Not all of us care for that. A 10k difference in bonus isn't worth the strain during my analyst years.

For those content on being good enough, how did you do it (ended up mid-bucket)? What are some techniques you did to mitigate extra work and have more free/personal time?

I realize the better and more efficient you are, the more you will be given typically. What are some ways to get around this without looking incompetent?

3 Comments
 

Going to be brutally honest here and tell you not to take that attitude going in. For the first 2 months, you need to be sprinting. Your seniors still don't trust you yet, and you'll be actively avoiding landmine mistakes without worrying on how to coast. After you hit your pace a couple of months in, then you may decide to start hitting layup shots. But also remember that coasting in 2018-2021 is a lot different than today. Banks were cranking deals and went on a hiring spree, so your staffers or management just turned a half blind eye to who was contributing but coasting. With the layoffs, those days (at least for now) are largely over. 

 

Adding more color to this ^. The vibes on the floor right now are tense, and you really can't just be coasting. With slow pipeline, you're still being kept busy. I first hand saw another analyst get canned, and honestly that kind of scared me. Analysts are replaceable, and I just quit trying to be good but not do overkill. Just be the best you can. Just my thoughts. 

 
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