What are some bad habits you think the banking/PE world builds in people?

I’ve seen a few months posts talking about the good habits banking and PE build for you going forward. But what are some bad habits that are built by these experiences?

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There are many habits that this industry creates that I think aren't great. Some of these are more mindsets, but I think it applies.

  • Obsession with responsiveness / always being available - it's pretty unhealthy overall and nothing in this field is really that time sensitive
  • Choosing wealth / work over (insert almost anything else here) - I work with former bankers that still can't take a vacation with their family and not plug in for half the day. Like, go play with your kids or some shit. I value my hobbies, working out, family, friends, etc. Work allows me to enjoy things worry-free but I try not to derive my value from my income or job
  • I second the one on false precision / focusing on very minute components that don't actually drive value. This is way too prevalent in the industry. Pareto principle all day
  • Fallacy that time = productivity - you do not need to be always working to be a quality employee, as long as you complete your work and it's high-quality. More time rarely means more productive (see Pareto again) 
  • Idea that bankers, consultants, PE investors, etc are the only capable people - this isn't the only field with smart individuals, nor did all of my smart friends choose this field
  • Focus on formatting / document style over content - most materials in this industry lack real substance, but have been obsessed over to make sure there isn't a double space. Nobody should care if the boxes are aligned, we should care what the boxes say
  • Overly professional dress / interactions - I'm a super informal person in both the way I dress and speak, so a bit more personal for me. But I don't think your value in this world should be derived from wearing a suit and addressing everyone in a stiff manner. There's a line, but I don't become an idiot just because i'm wearing sweatpants
 

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