Burnt out/regressing 2nd year banking analyst - Can I regain People's trust?

I'm a 2nd year analyst at a mid tier BB Bank in a fairly well respected group. During my first year, I wasn't the top analyst, but was definitely ranked towards the top (i.e. top 10%). I worked on a few deals and was a valued and relatively well respected member of the team. However, over the last few months, things have been going downhill. I find myself making mistakes I wouldn't have dreamed making 2 months ago and being called out for it taking me longer than it used to do certain fairly basic tasks. At this point in the year, I'm fairly certain I'm at the bottom of the analyst class.

Everyone in the group knows me as the hardest working analyst, so no one thinks I'm lazy, but an Associate I'm close with told me that a few other associates mentioned to him that while I'm still showing the same attitude and effort, the quality just isn't what it was, and they are showing varying levels of concern (i.e. something is off with me).

I attribute this to burnout, and will be taking some time off (mandatory consecutive days of absence) at the end of the months), to hopefully get my shit together. Do you think my co-workers will give me the opportunity to win back their trust once I'm back or do you guys think I'm totally fucked and will get bottom bucketed/asked to leave end of year.

 

I took 2 days off for my sister's college graduation about 2 and a half months ago, ended up having to spend half the time on my laptop doing work though. That was the only time off I've taken since I've started (excluding a few days here and there for some religious holidays).

I had to cancel the Christmas vacation I was supposed to take --got blown up by a deal that came in on December 21st-- ended up working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.

Generally, I'd say I'm pulling 100+ hours 1 week a month and 85-90+ the other 3 weeks.

Lately though, I've had the occasional early night because I find that I'm being staffed less as people have noticed a change in my work quality. I'm hoping that I can ride out the rest of the month until my vacation, come back rejuvenated and just address the decreased quality directly with people and explain that I'm back to my old self.

 

No one will really know whether you will regain their recognition or not. You can only do your best to improve the quality of your work. I understand you're tired from long hours and burnout. That's why IB is so tough. If you can carry on and make it out alive, whatever job comes after will become much easier

 

You're burnt out temporarily from overwork and need time off. Same thing happened to me after 2 years on the job with incredibly difficult work, brutal hours, & no vacation. I got all the vacation I could handle, from being fired.

Good thing your managers seem understanding. You'll soon have a week off; that's the minimum for me to peel off work related stress (no emails is key). You'll get your mojo back. Management perception of your work quality should go back to what it was.

I seem to remember a couple of years ago there was a major push at the BBs to deal with analyst stress from overwork before too many monkeys jumped out the window. What happened to that?

Like most of the rest of us, you're not an iron man. You'll find ways to cope. Remember, this overwork stuff continues until we're 65, unless we bank enough eff-you money to quit. Be an endurance runner not a sprinter.

 

I've heard of several companies instituting a "no work past midnight for interns and analysts" but thats 100% not abided by as they just don't allow people in the office after that time, the interns still have to do the work just not inside of the office. Other rules like that (regarding the overworking of junior employees) were instated but none of them are followed BC at the end of the day the work still needs to get done and theres a million ways around little rules like that. Instituting those rules was just a pr stunt "look at how much we care about people's emotions and well-being"

 

Haven't done IB exactly so not 100% applicable, but when I was an analyst at a sell-side brokerage shop for CRE I was on a high volume team pulling comparable hours. The first 6 months I was there everything went fairly well, was picking it up quick, people were generally happy with my progress, etc. After about month 14 I started to drop off, and one of the senior guys pulled me aside and had a heart to heart with me to give me the come to Jesus meeting. I just told him I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I had been pulling all-nighters and got pretty bad colds back to back from the lack of sleep. They told me to take a long weekend (4-5 days) and then I came back ready to go. The only thing I did during that time was exercise, go to the beach, spend time with my family and girlfriend, and read a book.

After I got some perspective from that I took a 'fuck it' attitude and just did the best I could. At that point my mindset was 'they already think my work product dropped off, so might as well just do the best I can to learn as much as possible and I can only go up from here'. 3-4 months after that and I got a pretty big promotion and bonus since they all recognized I was working my tail off and doing better than before. Long story short, just keep your head up and be honest. A lot of people think they can't communicate their exhaustion/shortcomings for fear that it comes off as weakness, but this is the only way to address the issue with the team and move toward a better path, whether that be them giving you a break and you returning to fighting form, or if you part ways with the firm at least you'll do it amicably (hopefully). Just keep your head up and do what you need to do, and everything else will play out as it should. Good luck brotha.

"Who am I? I'm the guy that does his job. You must be the other guy."
 

TL/DR you can get back trust and feel better

I've had this happen 2 times.... Once after 1.5 years consulting right out of school, the other after trying out for Spec Ops directly after basic training. Make sure you eat exceptionally well. Good fats (eggs, avacado, coconut oil, unheated olive oil, cold fish oil), adequate quality organic protein, quality carbs (ease off wheat/dairy for this week). Organic spinach is great too. Try skipping coffee and sleeping as much as possible. Organic matcha green tea/powder with honey and 1L water upon waking. Netflix has some great comedy specials for when you're awake

Do light exercise about 10 mins every morning before you shower: rower, eliptical, swimming, yoga. No barbells/weights this week. Get the blood flowing, but don't push hard. Turn off all TV screens/phones 2 hours before bed and make sure your room is blacked out. Get 2 hours of sunlight and a fresh air via walk in a park/garden. Finish 1L water on your walk. Call people you like & love to say hello. Focus on how they are doing.

Walk into the office with a GIANT smile on your face and bring that associate his favorite bottle of liquor with a thank you note.

 

I work in a less regimented environment but can speak on people's attitudes towards others:

First and foremost there is always a way to win people back, however it generally takes time to change their stipulation and is almost always an up hill battle. Associates are the first person to notice work quality issues because they are the ones responsible for and have to fix your mistakes. It sounds like it hasn't gotten too out of hand if the Associates are complaining amongst themselves, but what you don't want is the Associates telling the MD or VP not to staff you. That could have future ramifications, and it is harder to change the perception of an MD or VP because you have less FaceTime with them.

From prior posts it seems like you just need some time off. However, I think on your time off you need to think about why you're doing what you're doing and if you like doing it.

Keep working hard, focus on consistency in your work, and don't let the back channeling discourage you.

"A man can convince anyone he's somebody else, but never himself."
 

At the end of the day if you are beholden to their opinion of you it's going to be an anchor that will be at the back of your mind. If you come back you will measure your current quality against before and look for confirmation/validation from others to be back to your "old-self". Thinking about it might cause your work product to suffer regardless.

Be honest with yourself to see if you are at an end-game stage. Why not cut out the bs by changing BB's?

 

If there is any one thing I am certain of, it is that credibility amongst your peers is generally built or lost in small increments over long periods of time. Very rarely will you have an experience that will considerably elevate, or ruin your image in a work setting.

If you did make a strong impression on your co-workers for the first year, I would be surprised if they didn't give you the benefit of the doubt that you are simply experiencing burnout. It's an acknowledged element of corporate life to the extent that corporate execs in the modern world are given access to endless fitness, nutritional, and mental health resources, to prolong their inevitably short time spent managing massive enterprises - given the pressure of responsibility, uninterrupted attachment to the organization, and ambiguity of the future.

Everybody experiences burnout and must learn to cope with it. If you aren't already exercising, and planning your meals, I would suggest that you start.

 

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