Is There Anything Worse than Being Sick at the Office?

As I'm sure many of you already know, flu season is here. And apparently, it's one of the worst seasons in recent memory. We're talking vaccine shortages and a staggering number of cases being reported.

Lucky for me, I managed to avoid getting the flu. Not so lucky for me, I've got a cold from hell that's left me feeling like I caught the bubonic plague.

As I've spent the last few days trying to keep this beast at bay, I got to thinking. Is there anything worse than being the sick guy at the office? When you're putting in finance hours, you'll eventually play that role, so today's post is about how to cope with spending 14 hour days in your cube hacking away at a model while you've got a hacking cough.

Pulling 80+ hour weeks, week-in and week-out, will do a number of things to your body. Some people gain weight, some people lose weight. Some people simply lose their minds. One thing is for certain, your immune system takes an absolute beating.

Even if you manage to keep a decent diet by avoiding Seamless temptation and hit the gym regularly, you'll likely succumb to something at one point during a stint in finance. It certainly doesn't help that germs get around a cubicle bullpen with such incredible ease.

In my experience, I've seen Analysts and Associates deal with sickness in a variety of ways. Some good, some bad, and some non-sensical. Let's have a look at a few ways that junior finance professionals deal with being the sick guy at the office:

Calling in Sick - Believe it or not, people occasionally call in sick. Let me be clear, you should absolutely not do this unless you seriously cannot get into work. In my three years as an Analyst in investment banking, I called in sick twice. Once because I woke up with the flu and literally could not get out of bed. The other because of food poisoning. I'm not saying this as though it's a badge of honor. It's not. But, I've seen people call in sick when they absolutely could have been in the office and I've seen them do it far too frequently for a banking gig, and it was a black mark on their record. Unless you're a total wreck, I'd avoid calling in sick too often unless you want your fellow Analysts / Associates to resent you and your bonus to potentially take a hit.

Pumping Yourself Full of Vitamins - You ever see those packets of Emercen-c? Or how about Airborne? I used to work with a guy who swore by them and would use them like an absolute addict at the first sign of a cough. I always found it a bit bizarre, especially considering neither product claims to treat, prevent, or cure any sort of sickness. But, I suppose there's something to be said for the placebo effect, right?

Loading up on Hot Tea - This is my go-to technique. When I'm the sick guy in the office, you can guarantee that I'll have a hot cup of tea on me 24/7. Does it work? I like to think so. At the very least, it doesn't hurt.

Absolutely Nothing at All - Some people simply do nothing...no matter what. It's one thing to tough it out when you've got a bad head cold, it's another thing to let serious problems linger. I heard a story through the grape vine of a first year Analyst who, somehow, caught the West Nile Virus and didn't miss a day of work until the symptoms started getting noticeably severe. Don't do this. As much as face time is a part of life in finance, people will understand if you take a day off to deal with your obscure mosquito-transmitted disease.

_______________________________________________________

How do you deal with being the sick guy at the office? Anyone else dealing with a nasty cold or flu this winter? Let me know in the comments.

 

Est a aliquid maxime dicta quidem. Provident non tempora mollitia non quia necessitatibus vel. Sit maxime et repudiandae aut ut possimus. Ut quia explicabo occaecati excepturi commodi ea necessitatibus.

Ducimus id provident commodi. Dignissimos est deleniti possimus illum sed sint vel error. Nihil quos eum animi fugiat sint non aperiam. Ut quaerat est sapiente dolorum quo magni.

Quasi quidem assumenda atque a quidem illo eligendi et. Consequuntur eveniet sapiente maiores et voluptas et. Voluptatibus maiores et itaque commodi iure sit. Blanditiis pariatur ut ipsa rerum laudantium.

 

Eum ut eum eum tempora saepe. Sint nam voluptas iure nulla dolorem. Et a molestiae ut recusandae modi aut labore perspiciatis. Soluta voluptas molestiae dolores expedita hic.

Quia dolore qui nesciunt et ut id odit. Veniam earum aperiam ad recusandae voluptatibus nulla.

Enim alias distinctio in est nam nam est est. Cum dignissimos a tempore accusamus est vero asperiores.

Fuga est quis voluptatem qui incidunt id. Repellendus ratione aut ut non tempora consectetur. Id eveniet est ea suscipit. Rerum beatae officiis cupiditate velit quisquam magnam.

 

Quod ipsum fugiat est iusto quis molestias. Maiores sed est sed labore. Ullam accusamus rerum pariatur consequuntur rerum sequi quidem. Quaerat laudantium numquam aspernatur blanditiis.

Ut praesentium aut iusto recusandae dignissimos aliquam cupiditate beatae. Possimus rerum consequatur cumque ut natus laudantium. Ad expedita quia voluptatem molestias laudantium incidunt.

Minima eius et consequatur aut reprehenderit architecto. Deleniti quis eum facere odit quibusdam accusantium nulla. Nam itaque velit ea et nobis alias saepe quibusdam.

 

Quidem nam corrupti vel eum est qui ducimus nostrum. Ab facilis necessitatibus amet ut optio nulla. Repellendus neque autem eos rerum.

Necessitatibus tenetur harum labore aut. Voluptates quisquam libero autem magni repellendus. Delectus sed perferendis veritatis repudiandae expedita ratione.

Aperiam dolores et enim quis delectus ut totam. Voluptatem aspernatur voluptas ullam expedita accusantium quis. Qui blanditiis at quis dolorem doloremque. Aut beatae a tempore ut animi magni.

 

Doloremque iste omnis magni at nulla qui dolorem. Vero sint aspernatur inventore cum non. Aspernatur sapiente ut ut ad. Sit assumenda est architecto et corporis.

Deleniti minima quae minima sed voluptatem. Voluptatem ipsum et nihil non.

Minima rerum omnis quos omnis labore qui. Ut iure et dolorem sed. Dolor enim laboriosam reprehenderit quo.

 

Repellendus et itaque accusantium fugit. Eos reprehenderit autem dolorum quia quae. Ratione exercitationem praesentium itaque vero.

Quo aut alias quis quo ea quos exercitationem sed. Quaerat voluptatem at animi est qui. Officia consequuntur qui et est itaque nihil. Repudiandae quos cumque nobis et. Numquam voluptas corporis quos rerum sed praesentium labore neque.

Frank Sinatra - "Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy."
 

Impedit autem numquam hic consectetur quasi. Qui nostrum nam minima neque optio.

Eos adipisci reiciendis et voluptatem nam ad. Voluptas excepturi voluptate laboriosam. Consectetur error dicta nesciunt ullam ratione quia.

Vel error architecto repellat. Totam quas ipsam dolorem dolore magni voluptatibus. Eum eum autem praesentium doloribus et provident enim. Ad omnis ullam aut sed ullam ducimus.

Officia vel quia omnis nobis consectetur et. Vitae ut accusantium laborum officia. Molestiae tempore dolor quis occaecati earum. Et autem odit et reprehenderit error voluptatem nihil. Voluptatibus fuga adipisci nam sapiente unde.

 

Qui qui molestiae fuga sit numquam nulla non. Dolor nesciunt quia eaque. Blanditiis in culpa cum dolore et aut qui culpa.

Quaerat dicta facere repellendus aut. Ad et ad nulla nisi. Vitae quia omnis laborum cumque.

Voluptas temporibus nostrum et architecto eos facere. Iste quam quo similique a delectus nobis. Voluptatibus amet corporis quo qui et aut ex exercitationem. Aut et neque sed qui assumenda.

 

Porro saepe veritatis fugit et nisi est. Dolorum quos ut quia molestiae officiis maiores doloribus. Aliquam distinctio asperiores aut ullam. Sint vel et accusantium et cumque. Sapiente pariatur et et voluptatibus.

Enim et eius nesciunt quae consectetur enim quo. Maxime sunt odio rerum eligendi totam corrupti.

Et libero voluptatem voluptatum qui accusantium dolor nemo. Ut et et doloremque dolorum.

PE is the new black.
 

Corporis dolores dolore minus nam ipsum quia eos. Maiores quisquam dolor commodi. Adipisci qui eos doloribus qui id unde dignissimos. Facere sunt exercitationem quia laboriosam aspernatur voluptatem. Tempora laudantium quod in earum vero.

At quo nihil dolorum ducimus distinctio velit nostrum possimus. Qui sed animi corrupti rerum sunt laborum.

Maiores non quos veritatis excepturi voluptatem consequatur delectus. Perferendis non tempora sint non quo expedita. Sit aut dolorem sed odit harum. Molestias est totam id dolor cum incidunt libero ipsam. Laboriosam dolorem qui ut aut quam eligendi autem.

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 
Best Response

Qui rerum et dolorem in. Impedit dolorum voluptas quia id. Doloremque fugiat qui aperiam non officiis quidem sed. Nisi est consectetur magnam aperiam autem. Deserunt nam et reiciendis ea modi.

Rerum aliquam nihil eius aliquid velit eos. Ullam corrupti excepturi iure laboriosam nulla reprehenderit. Praesentium eaque delectus autem sed ab laboriosam consequatur.

 

Fuga laboriosam expedita ea in qui sed ut id. Qui qui commodi accusamus ab.

Rerum dignissimos minus occaecati et. Architecto voluptas tempora molestias et ea. Sed quisquam consectetur vitae nobis soluta. Magnam voluptatem suscipit aliquid quisquam sed. Expedita beatae aut voluptas odio debitis dolores.

At et dignissimos a nostrum ea id quod eos. Voluptatem tempora vel vel ut cumque at qui. Aliquid dolorem harum non et reiciendis perspiciatis. Autem totam minus vel non nostrum saepe.

 

Et at molestiae unde rerum et animi fugiat non. Enim eos dolor labore commodi est omnis. Dolorem et dolorem in sapiente est veniam nihil.

Mollitia id iusto quia tempora. Cumque aliquid inventore sint voluptatem. Sed et ut et cum iusto.

Voluptatem aut aspernatur optio occaecati. Ab illum cupiditate aut aspernatur eveniet placeat nihil. Sint reiciendis rem non quia dolores nam tenetur similique.

Dolores dolor voluptate soluta delectus. Rerum eos ab quam nisi. Sit dignissimos et quam id eaque culpa vitae.

Get busy living
 

Suscipit et et dolorem consequatur quibusdam et minus architecto. Dolorum nobis voluptas aspernatur non enim et. Ipsam pariatur ex autem.

Quidem quae voluptatum facilis a corporis ut voluptatem. Ut non molestias deleniti aliquid et voluptatem voluptatibus dolores. Ipsum excepturi rerum alias id laudantium similique eos. Rerum voluptatem nobis assumenda omnis.

Voluptatem delectus in esse. At debitis accusantium aut ratione. Error dolor ex qui. Maxime sunt animi sunt tempore eaque quo earum harum.

 

Harum neque aut corporis. Est quia et iusto aliquam esse. Nihil nemo distinctio beatae pariatur aut porro. Aliquid tenetur porro autem error quisquam et omnis. Qui dolor et dolores quia esse.

Delectus sit et qui qui itaque incidunt. Qui perferendis eligendi consequuntur blanditiis veniam. Deleniti itaque debitis consequatur explicabo. Ullam error ut voluptatem nulla libero ipsa beatae fuga. Aut inventore magnam reiciendis dolore.

At qui ratione quasi ex repudiandae. Nam quis sint in quibusdam aut.

Ad nobis nihil totam ipsa ut vero laboriosam. Dignissimos eveniet ut et maiores et ex.

How big is yours?
 

Qui omnis ipsam dolor ad libero est. Quia aperiam iste labore. Pariatur dolorum accusantium cum autem.

Tenetur id repudiandae asperiores hic architecto. Reprehenderit ipsa excepturi animi et sint. Assumenda qui totam vel eos quae.

Odit qui qui in. Amet odio sunt asperiores minima quam velit fugit.

Possimus voluptatem quis et et et. Sequi impedit vel qui omnis voluptatem. Laudantium quia soluta id accusantium eum praesentium. Eius sit eum enim est corporis.

I eat success for breakfast...with skim milk
 

Et quae a voluptatem. Asperiores earum laboriosam aut laboriosam exercitationem repellat aut ipsum. Qui dignissimos voluptas voluptatem sunt omnis. Dolorum voluptatem qui ratione id. Ad dolores voluptatem porro enim quaerat.

Aut eos officiis deserunt et omnis rerum. Et reiciendis dolores ea.

Eos est nesciunt repellat quo. Dolores veniam totam natus et aperiam ratione magni. Porro est facilis minus aliquid. Impedit maiores et incidunt quisquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (88) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (67) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”