Burnout
I know everyone has burnouts in investment banking, but I just feel so helpless. I worked little less than two years and I feel like I need to go a bit further to get promoted as an associate. I can’t put my two weeks because my deal team is very lean at the moment, and I’m the only one that knows what’s going on in the model.
I just want to sleep. I just want to be able to go outside on a weekend without worrying about getting pinged back. I don’t want to be under all this stress that there may be an error or a typo somewhere. I feel like everything I do is inadequate when I’m putting in honestly my all. My confidence is so broken that I don’t even know if I can succeed anywhere, let alone an investment banking job. It feels like I’m just not enough. I want to quit, but I don’t want to be fucked for recruitment. I just feel so stuck, how do others go through this?
take 6-7 business days PTO once your deal closes if they let you and then reasses
Navigating burnout in investment banking is a common challenge, and it's clear you're feeling the weight of it heavily. Based on insights from Wall Street Oasis, here are some strategies that others in your position have found helpful:
Prioritize Self-Care: It's crucial to take care of your physical and mental health. This includes ensuring you get enough sleep, eat well, and engage in physical activity. Even short breaks for a walk or quick exercise can make a difference.
Set Boundaries: As difficult as it may seem, setting boundaries for work and personal time can help. Communicate with your team about your availability and try to stick to it as much as possible. It's important to have time where you are completely disconnected from work.
Efficiency Improvements: Look for ways to improve your efficiency in tasks. This could involve automating repetitive tasks, improving your Excel skills, or finding faster ways to complete your models. The less time you spend on each task, the more time you have for rest.
Seek Support: Talk to mentors, colleagues, or a professional counselor about what you're going through. Sometimes, just having someone listen can be incredibly relieving. They might also offer valuable advice or coping strategies.
Consider Your Options: If the situation doesn't improve, it might be worth considering other opportunities. Many have transitioned from investment banking to roles in private equity, corporate strategy, or other areas that might offer a better work-life balance. Remember, your skills are highly transferable and valued in many industries.
Remember Your Worth: It's easy to tie your self-worth to your job performance, especially in high-pressure environments like investment banking. However, remember that you are more than your job. Your health and happiness are paramount.
Plan for Downtime: Even if it's just a few hours on the weekend, make plans to do something you enjoy that's not work-related. This can help recharge your batteries and give you something to look forward to.
Remember, many have been in your shoes and have found ways to cope or move on to roles that better suit their needs. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, but it's also important to take steps to address your burnout and consider what's best for your long-term health and career satisfaction.
Sources: How do investment bankers handle long hours?, Midlevel Burnout, Anyone Deal w/ Extended Burn-Out?, Life Hacks during WFH | How do you avoid burnout?, Anyone else fed up with the banking/finance industy?
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Having gone through the same things myself earlier in your career, I can commiserate. It's shitty; you spent so many of your formative years grinding, and your reward is this: an seemingly empty, meaningless existence where you just play with excel and powerpoint. It feels like you're being broken down for no reason, and that there is no end to pointless suffering.
However, as one of the many who has made it out the other side, I promise you: in the grand scheme of things, this will be a boon to you. Contrary to what others tell you growing up, confidence isn't earned from doing well and excelling. It's earned from dealing with troubles, turmoil, and conflict. I know it sounds hard to believe, but trust me: you are earning your future confidence now. Once you pass this test in life, it will be a source of strength for you because you will know from experience that you can deal with shit most people cave against after a few months.
Now having said that, in the day to day, the key isn't to think about how you still need to get through another year, it's to tell yourself you just get through this next firedrill, then this next day, then this week so that you can get some rest on the weekend. To the extent you can, focus on sleep, diet, exercise, and spirituality however you can. When I was going through a bout of depression and drinking from my job, the things that kept me grounded were reading other's posts in similar situations to realize I wasn't uniquely "broken" or "insufficient", just another analyst dealing with the issues that have always existed in these kinds of roles.
I would also regularly listen to podcasts or read articles regarding others with "real world problems" to ground me. One of my most formative memories was speaking with a Senior Partner at my firm and asking him how he kept so level headed. He told me he used to be constantly stressed until he worked for a medical system in a LATAM country for a project. During one of the days he was at the hospital, he ran into a woman whose two children suffering from severe disease. Due to the lack of hospital resources, she had to choose between relieving the pain of the child dying from cancer, or ensure adequate treatment for the child suffering from a different type of ailment so they they could likely pull through. Now that is something that warrants a feeling of brokenness.
Lastly, if hope or perspective don't work for you, you can turn to rage if you need. I turned my exhaustion into a very powerful hatred for my firm. Who were they to tell me if I was or wasn't good enough? F*** them, I'll make it through despite what they're putting me through because they don't know me. Was it somewhat naive and misdirected? Yes, but in situations like what you're going through, you have to work with what you have.
Good luck. No one wants to read the story where every chapter is smooth and happy. The best stories are the ones where the hero has to deal with the setbacks and even failures. Be that hero, choose your story
I totally get where you're coming from and I wanted to ask how things are now. I hope to hear you feel better. Burnout in investment banking is real, and it can feel like you're trapped. I saw this happen at my last job - people were burning out left and right. The company finally tried a technique called resource smoothing, where they better-balanced workloads among the team. It made a huge difference - people started taking breaks, and no one felt like the weight of the world was on their shoulders. For now, a couple of things that might help: Taking a few days off, as someone suggested; Perhaps setting small boundaries, like a no-notification zone for an hour each day. It’s tough, but you're not alone in this - many have been there and made it through. You can too. The part where you said you feel you're not enough made me think of imposter syndrome, maybe it would help you read about it a little.
Not in IB, but pretty burned out right now. Not sure how long I can keep this going.
I hear you, and I can really feel the weight you're carrying right now. It's so tough when you're giving everything and it still feels like it's never enough. I've been there too, feeling like every decision is critical and fearing a mistake that might slip through. It's good to know that you are not alone in this and many people in investment banking experience these same pressures (but that doesn't make it any easier).
I think it's important to remind yourself that your worth isn't tied to this job or the models you're building. You have skills and value beyond what you do at work. I would suggest you take care of yourself and set some boundaries, even if it's just a small step, like carving out a bit of time on the weekend when you don't check your phone. You got this!
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