How to be a maximum hardo
Delete - have some solid next steps (thanks everyone) and not feeling the need to make anyone else cringe
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Reading this post I would say you already got everything down pat, just stay hard my man
If it’s really not that hard to have a good personality… then where are you hiding that good personality? This post was so annoying and just reeked of insecurity. You got into a great bank - you don’t have to preemptively be defensive about it. You don’t have to preemptively be defensive about how cool you are. Instead of trying to be a hardo, spend time reflecting on yourself and figuring out what you want to do in your career long-term. Do research and decide now if the goal is IB/PE or HF. If it’s PE, prep for oncycle. If HF, study markets. There’s a lot of “prestigious” and lucrative options out there, but being targeted in your goals instead of figuring it out as you go is probably the best way to spend your time. In terms of what the biggest “hardos” do, it’s get PE/HF internships during the school year but that’s tough if you’re not in a T1 city. If that’s not an option, rise the ranks in the top finance clubs at your school. But regardless, do enjoy college - you won’t have another opportunity to make these memories.
Apologies for the cringe
Work on your jokes. You keep cracking these shitty ones in the bullpen means no offer
Bump
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I like this one
So you don’t actually have an offer yet…
del
Get good at PowerPoint, get good at excel - not just modeling, but how to make pie charts, graphs, advanced formulas, and what not. Learn to triple check your work. Make sure that you can eat shit, are willing to do whatever your deal team tells you, and make sure that you can keep a smile on your face while doing this all. Don't have any sense of entitlement, but also don't show any insecurity regarding going to a "semi-target" - you are at the firm for a reason. If you can, get lunch/coffee with more senior members of the team and pick their brains and learn from them.
The only people in university we knew as "hardos" were those who dressed like a finance bro and have the (maybe) illusion of always studying it.
Though, to be fair, it was more of a joke than anything else.
The hardos at work spend the longest in the office and fit a "hardo starter pack" to a T (google is your friend)
I googled it I’m no longer interested
That doesn’t say hardo to me that says douchebag
Here's a piece of advice that will come handy. Learn how to work long hours. Now before you scarf that that is something you already are 100% great at since you are this driven, ambitious re incarnation of Ray Dalio, hear me out. Most people on this forum think they have worked very hard and have that tenacity when they get a SA offer (and also not to take an unnecessary swipe but most BBs, MMs and EBs handed out offers 1-2 months ago for next yr, so if you got your offer recently, you're likely a 2nd, 3rd tier candidate, but alas I dont need you to tell me u actually got it 10 years ago and were just waiting to post this in fear of being doxxed).
The problem is, everyone who has a SA offer thinks they work hard because they've been able to pull a few all nighters in a row and aced their exams. They continuously stay up til 3-4am, sometimes even studying and wake up at 6 and maintain complete productivity. They even read books like the ones you listed and absorb every bit of information the texts have to offer and feel their mind pumping greatness through every vessel of their body when they think about their summer analyst stint, then return, then PE, then MBA -> HF -> mykonos marriage -> billionaire status. The problem is, this isn't what working late in banking is.
I ask you to wake up in the morning and pull 2-3 lbos (many sources online). Pull some pitchdeck ppt, I'm sure youre smart enough to find one. Fuck with the ppt, like every page. Move shit around, throw text boxes off, alignment all messed up. Then, give yourself the day to work on this. sit in your seat, don't procrastinate, don't use your phone or watch youtube even when you get tired or its dinner time. Do this until you are completely done and both ppt and excel are error free - if they have errors, make them perfect before logging off. Wake up and do this again and again. This should be taking you til at least 2 AM (if not, then find harder ones or just add more mundane shit to the mix for no reason). Do this every day for 2 weeks, if you feel good, do it until your SA and you will blow everyone away. But remember, at the moment you are just a summer analyst. Your aim to be the top bucket and rise up the ranks sounds pukey and cringe to the analysts and associates who have spent years dreading their existence. So, if you wanna be liked, then just keep it zipped, work hard and let your work take you where you want to go.
Killer comment thank you.
Frankly, I’m scared of how my body will handle the stress and lack of sleep.
When you say pulling LBOs from online, do you mean public deals and then recreating them?
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