How to Avoid Dying on the Job?
I want to join IB after my MBA program, but with the tragic story of Leo’s death, I’m actually genuinely concerned for my well-being. If stress from this job can kill a Green Beret, what can it do to me? I’m all about working hard, but sleep deprivation is scientifically proven to cause severe health consequences. It’s also considered a torture tactic by the Geneva conventions. I’m asking in all seriousness, is it really even worth it? I’m not trying to shitpost I just have never worked in the industry and this story about Leo really spooked me. I’m looking for thoughts.
I don't think this is the most dignified post for a few reasons:
1. Dying on the job in investment banking is not that statistically prevalent. Not everything works like HBO's Industry, where someone keels over in the first episode.
2. Comparing the job to torture is a bit misguided given that you would be choosing to do it for the money. I have actually had a difficult analyst tenure in a few key ways, but torture is a bit far. People endure the things that they endure because they want to develop their careers and to get the bonus at the end. It isn't some unilateral torture that is being imposed on people. It's a carrot and stick, not just the stick.
Having said that, let's think about minimizing mortality risk. Leo Lukenas, may he rest in peace, died of a blood clot. I am making no assessment of what he did or did not know before his death, but to the extent that a new investment banking analyst knows of a propensity to have blood clots, they should probably have that checked out. Compression stockings, regularly walking around, regularly doing some light exercise or brisk walking, eating a healthy diet, taking aspirin over-the-counter as a preventative or during weeks where you know things will be more intense, or even having a prescription blood thinner could all be ways of mitigating something like this.
It may also be helpful to decide for yourself that getting middle-bucket or getting fired is more worth it than working 100 hour weeks if you are asked to do so. If you have made this decision, stick to it, and you are very unlikely to be the outlier who keels over. Proactively asking for other people to be staffed on your projects if you are overwhelmed can be helpful as well, and learning to do this in a professionally acceptable way is a valuable skill.
Additionally, there are probably certain firms where this kind of outcome is simply more likely. BB, EB, MM, etc. Working at a boutique or regional bank may net you similar rewards and give you a less impersonal HR experience that overlooks your wellbeing.
None of this is remotely to be construed as victim-blaming. I could tell you stories. My purpose is to give you advice on mitigating the tail outcomes in investment banking so that you can make a fully-informed decision on where you would like to work after your MBA. If some of my suggestions seem extreme, consider also that the question was asking about extreme outcomes as well. Sometimes thinking in extremes is a calming exercise, because through the extremes we can see that our current position is more moderated than we thought.
That’s nice to hear, I genuinely have a hard time knowing what’s real or not talking to internet strangers. Many brag about never sleeping while others tell me it’s for the most part manageable. The cognitive dissonance on this platform and others is very real.
If you're working really hard on some billion dollar deals with household name companies, there will be 100-hour weeks involved in all likelihood. They are real. I have done them. They are real. This is not blowing smoke up on anybody.
That said, most weeks, I work between 55-70 hours a week. I work on weekends plenty of the time. It never totally turns off. Both are true, but bankers overestimate the prevalence of the 100-hour weeks when they talk to people in order to maintain their egos or solicit the respect or pity of others.
If you don't want to work horrendous hours, don't go into a sweaty IB role.
What’s your best rec to learn more about groups? I specifically want to work in renewables. Will my mba program know when I get in? They’re a strong pipeline to ib.
Personally, I’ve found the best tactic is to care less. Situations where you truly have work until 2-3am and wake up 4 hours later are rare. You can typically sleep in after the late night, send out lower quality work so that you finish by midnight, or just get the deadline pushed. Yeah, you might not be top bucket if you do these things, but it’s not worth your health.
That’s great to hear. Many probably being ostentatious, brag about never sleeping. And the cognitive dissonance is leading me to not really know what’s real or not in IB. It’s nice to know that isn’t common.
I've said this like 4 times but here goes:
an upper and lower day sat/sun and one floater full body day and getting off 2 stops early for work to jam in 5k extra steps/day is trivially easy to do
the above will get you 7-80% of the results of some memishly focused dude who lifts 5x/wk
Love this dude
What is real and not real here? You are not going to die because you work in IB. You will make a lot of money but might age faster than than people who have less demanding jobs. It is a trade off.
You likely won’t get into an M7 and break in to banking anyways, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
😂 this how you blow off steam after a long day pal?
Iure aut et qui. Consequuntur voluptatem sunt possimus consequatur et facilis ut. Sunt voluptates iste praesentium maxime.
Esse numquam repellendus odit sunt. Libero omnis minima dolores sunt et similique. Quidem earum consequuntur asperiores quaerat atque eos. Dolor dolorum sit in tempore animi. Adipisci consectetur qui aspernatur quia occaecati.
Rerum et labore optio rerum itaque reiciendis. Et eum sequi dolores. Consectetur commodi architecto corrupti quas molestias quo. Voluptatibus quaerat velit voluptatum aperiam fugiat quia commodi. Voluptate et ea enim laboriosam. Et culpa assumenda autem velit suscipit.
Praesentium officia non eos aut sed illum. Id aut dolores voluptatibus veniam eum quod reprehenderit. Repudiandae dolorem voluptatibus cumque.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...