Do investment bankers have any free time?
At 60 hours, you can have one full free day off and generally only have to do some light work on the other day. You might not get to choose exactly when that time is, but in general, this is survivable. You'll see from the schedule that most people get into work around 10am in banking.
Many Analysts might be working more like 80-90 hours per week rather than 70-80. That may not sound significant, but it's the difference between 12.5 hours per day for 6 days with one day off and 12.1 hours per day with no days off.
This is not a Monday to Friday, 9-to-5 gig. Employees who are not comfortable working 80-hour weeks rarely last long in the industry. Almost every Saturday is spent partly at work. Even Sundays are not guaranteed off days for an investment banker.
While working in Investment Banking, the average bedtime on weekdays for me was 1:29 AM, with an average sleep duration of 5 hours and 56 minutes. On weekends, the average bedtime was 12:02 AM, with an average sleep duration of 8 hours and 29 minutes. However, behind these figures are large fluctuations day by day.
Investment banking is a demanding and competitive field that can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Long hours, high pressure, and tight deadlines can cause stress, burnout, and anxiety. However, there are ways to cope with these challenges and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Most former bankers have reported that it is quite uncommon for an analyst to hit the 100-hour mark. Apparently, this only happens occasionally (once a month) when an analyst is working on multiple live deals or poorly aligned international projects.
Have you ever heard of Goldman Sachs' 15-minute rule at Goldman Sachs? It means you have to respond to an email in 15 minutes or less no matter what. It doesn't matter if you: - showering - hiking in the mountains - attending your son's wedding - saving someone from a drowning vehicle Unreasonable?
Age plays a huge factor in the decision-making process. Wall Street is an up-and-out industry. Unless the goal is senior management, most people in finance are out of there by age 50. That's not at just the biggest investment banks, either.
Long Hours: Investment banking is known for its grueling work hours. Stress: High stakes and tight deadlines can make the job highly stressful. Work-Life Balance: The demanding nature of the job can affect work-life balance.
Can you become a millionaire as an investment banker? It is possible to become a millionaire as an investment banker, but it is not easy. Investment bankers typically earn salaries in the $200,000 to $700,000 range, with bonuses that can bring their total income up to several million dollars per year.
Do investment bankers work on Christmas?
Now while senior bankers generally prefer that the junior investment banking staff take their holidays around Christmas while it's quiet, they do need a few bodies to man the pit and take the bullet for any Christmas staffings. If you are looking to network with junior bankers over coffee, this is the time to do it.
In short, the more senior you get, the more you need to travel. Juniors don't get to travel that often. Here is how it plays out in real life: Managing Directors, Directors and Vice Presidents – As a Senior Banker, you would be traveling anywhere from once per week to 2-3 days a week.
Typically, entry-level investment bankers, for instance, can expect to receive around 10-15 days of vacation per year. This can increase to 20 or more days as they gain seniority and move up the ranks.
In investment banking, as in fund management, Sunday is a day of work. More than that, it is often the day when all the important work that couldn't get done during the week is completed.
Typical Investment Banking Hours
As an investment banking analyst or associate, you should expect to work ~60-80 hours per week. However, some weeks can be far in excess of this, especially if there's a “live deal” in the works. Many bankers brag about working 100-120 hours per week.
Many investment bankers are Type A personalities, which means they are ambitious and driven. Young bankers are inducted into a stressful lifestyle from the get-go. They are encouraged to work long hours with very little free time to fit in socializing or relaxation.
Investment bankers meet with clients, prepare offers, run financial projections, and work on pitchbooks, that help generate new clients. The work is lucrative but the days are long and stressful. Superior social skills are required for success in the field.
- Most stressful job in finance : Investment Banker (M&A or capital markets professional) ...
- Second most stressful job in finance : Trader. ...
- Third most stressful job in finance : Risk management & Compliance.
As an associate, compensation rises significantly. The next level up is Vice President, which can make upwards of 500k. Highest on the food chain is the Managing Director, who makes anywhere from 500k to several million dollars. Investment banking associates are typically hired after business school.
From my experience - and I spent 8 years in the industry, many of my friends are investment bankers - most are indeed deeply unhappy. Saying that, many will be happy once they're out. Most dislike their job, it's a grind, it's hard work, it's soulless.
Do investment bankers really make millions?
Successful mid-career investment bankers can make tens of millions of dollars a year.
But people in IB (at least people I kind of know) work until about 2am every day and come into office between 9/9:30. So realistically they get about 5-6 hours of sleep (or even less in busier periods) and are expected to be functioning 100% every day.
Investment bankers meet with clients, send emails, prepare offers, conduct financial projections, work on signing new clients to the company, providing initial public offerings (IPOs), and mergers and acquisitions. These are some of the tasks an investment banker must do on a daily or weekly basis.
| Position Title | Typical Age Range | Timeframe for Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst | 22-27 | 2-3 years |
| Associate | 25-35 | 3-4 years |
| Vice President (VP) | 28-40 | 3-4 years |
| Director / Senior Vice President (SVP) | 32-45 | 2-3 years |
Investment bankers make money through the fees charged to their clients. As discussed above, this includes underwriting fees for arranging the sale of securities and advisory fees for providing strategic guidance.
