Career Advice - Bridging the Gap of Good to Great

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That is a great question to be asking. I'm being serious, the level on introspection you are showing will pay dividends in your career.

In my first year of working I found myself in the same exact spot as you. I was constantly aware that I was at the bottom of the bucket, and I knew my managers knew as well. It was an extremely stressful year of wondering if I’d be fired (was just overthinking, but regardless, I still thought about it a lot). There honestly wasn’t some secret method I found to fix it other than working hard long hours, and making serious mental notes of mistakes so that I wouldn’t make them twice. Eventually, you just figure it out. We’re not rocket scientists, so if you stay strong and work hard, you’ll come out on the other side. Eventually at my one year mark, two analysts left the team and I became the go to guy. They might remember you had a rough start, but what matters more is that you get up to speed and catch up to the front of the pack. 

This may be a little controversial, but I would say move. Maybe not right now, but eventually.
 

I’m conscious of the fact that I was seen as second rate at my old place, but I’m seen as a bit of a rockstar now in my new job. I think there are various reasons for this, but for me it kind of boils down to two key things.

Firstly, I’m on the same wavelength as my line manager. I wouldn’t say we think in exactly the same way, but I think we get and respect how each other thinks and works. I think culture or the organization is partially responsibly for that, but the fact that we are both British also helps a lot. In my former job, the culture was more hierarchical, more bureaucratic and my boss was French (and many of my peers were French/French speaking).

Secondly, the nature of the work has changed and I’m better suited to it. It’s less about academic nonsense, providing analysis to people who are so far removed from the issue that they’ll never be able to grasp it etc. and a lot more about actually getting things done and making things happen. I’m quite goal orientated and have a drive to make things happen, so previously having a very analytical position where I was a service provider to the decision makers and perceptions mattered much more than they do in my current job didn’t suit me. Where I am now I am judged primarily by whether I get the job done.

Now I’m certainly not saying quit and find somewhere else as I’m sure you still have a lot to learn and the above advice from other posters is great… I’m saying if you still feel this way at a later point you may want to consider changing jobs/environment to something that’s more suited to your personality. 

Prior to becoming an Analyst, I was a Big 4 Auditor and I was not great because I was too creative (wanted to change the work papers, improve things which I was told not to), so I failed that and became an Analyst.

I almost didn’t make it in my first 6 months of work as an Analyst, but found my groove eventually, to become the go-to Analyst in my office.
 

That transition mainly happened when the Associate (I was the Analyst) got assigned somewhere else and I then had direct work with the VP.  Then I got direct feedback and knowledge of everything going on.

Goes back to a familiar theme I say on here, that information power is key, and the closer you work with the power players (and perform) the better things will be for you.

How do you become better?  Self improvement by getting faster, more accurate.   It’s get faster on the dumb, routine things, so that you have more time for what I’m going to tell you next.
 

How do you become great?  Always bringing something new.  Original thinking.  Thinking about angles.  Thinking for your boss (ie Investment Committee is next week, we need to get A, B, C done - you telling your boss what needs to be done while he/she is out growing the business).

As an analyst, you “analyze.”  But really you are learning to communicate large amounts of information efficiently.   Writing, speaking, and in a spreadsheet.

The great ones have vision and can communicate the vision.  
 

Ultimately you will learn the skills of your world, but that’s sometimes not enough.  
 

Therefore, try to be great, but always be yourself.  The biggest boss in your life should be your goals, desires. And if you figure that out quickly, you’ll be working on your goals and naturally succeed, or at least be happy.  

And when you work your tail off in the office and press the elevator button to go downstairs at 2am in the morning, say to yourself, I will never be an Analyst again.  I did!  However, you never stop using the skills of your Analyst days, at least I haven’t.