Investment Banks

[slickcontractor]

So what is it like to work in these places? It is really that bad? Does anyone have a good experience?

How are the hours? Can you do 9-5 ? Can you do your hours early in the week and bugger off at lunchtime on Friday?

From what i have read from other users here, i gathered some have worked with some horrible IB's. As for me and this being my 1st IB, i have nothing but praise for them. I come and go as i please and i have the choice to work from home whenever i desire. They actually dont care what hours i do as long as i get the job done. I work on FIX protocols predominantly and lately i have had tempting offers with one offering 500+ to move to other IB's but i turned them all down. I could take that and end up working with a bunch of tulips or keep my 400 a day job which offers peace of mind, so i kept my measly 400 a day rate

[Ruse]

So what is it like to work in these places? It is really that bad? Does anyone have a good experience?

How are the hours? Can you do 9-5 ? Can you do your hours early in the week and bugger off at lunchtime on Friday?

Yes I have had good experiences in the past. For example 2 IB's I worked for, in both cases the contract kept renewing so that I was working for 2 and a half years continuously at each. Rates were good. However also had the opposite experience with manager from hell, treated like a dog and given crap low level work. But that can happen anywhere right ?

As for 9-5 I have worked at one IB where this was the norm but TBH it is very rare, definitely no sloping off at lunchtime on Fridays.

Certain IB's have a long reputation of extremely long hours, poor treatement of employees and nobody stays there very long. A certain v. large IB in CW springs to mind. Everyone I know who went there never lasted more than 9 months.

However nowadays I can't even get an interview when a role does come up. V. different to 1 yr ago.

[Moscow Mule]

I've worked in a few smaller ones. They were all pretty friendly and you could knock off at 5 if there weren't any dramas.

Obviously, going home whilst there's a drama on was frowned upon, but most people are adults and understand when you simply can't stay.

[snaw]

So what is it like to work in these places? It is really that bad? Does anyone have a good experience?

How are the hours? Can you do 9-5 ? Can you do your hours early in the week and bugger off at lunchtime on Friday?

I like them. Yes you can do short hours (Depends what you're working on, what area and what you boss is like).

I got paid well, working in a big network environment, on kit that was properly spec'd, in big datacentres, with primarily professionals who did the job properly. People were social, I went to the gym most lunchtimes, and generally had a great time.

Hardest part I reckon comes down to being able to work professionally (no cowboy antics, following procedure/change control as much as that can be a pani in the arse) and being able to work under an enormous amount of pressure from time to time.

[minestrone]

Look what it did to Menelaus.

[BlasterBates]

So what is it like to work in these places? It is really that bad? Does anyone have a good experience?

How are the hours? Can you do 9-5 ? Can you do your hours early in the week and bugger off at lunchtime on Friday?