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Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

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11–20 of 64 posts

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#11
post #9

What do investment banking interns (and bankers) do which benefits from such long hours? Lots of manual data processing? Reading? I absolutely benefit from uninterrupted stretches of 12-24h working on problems sometimes, but only infrequently -- usually hit diminishing returns between 4-12h. The only times where I've been useful >24h was when the task was more "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other peo…

the amount of work that can be generated by a bad manager is infinite

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#12
post #9

What do investment banking interns (and bankers) do which benefits from such long hours? Lots of manual data processing? Reading? I absolutely benefit from uninterrupted stretches of 12-24h working on problems sometimes, but only infrequently -- usually hit diminishing returns between 4-12h. The only times where I've been useful >24h was when the task was more "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other peo…

Never worked in a bank but I believe it's a matter of being available to senior employees.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#13

So what exactly do they do there for so many hours a day? I'm having a hard time imagining anyone doing anything productive for that long.

Investment banking is all about dealing with other people's money and the customers usually are pretty demanding when it's well, about their money. From what I hear from my investment banker friends a lot of the day is spent socializing and going on client meetings, lunches, dinners to satisfy the relationship and then usually back to the office to do the 'actual work'. It's a lot of hard work but that's why these guys get paid $200-300k soon after joining.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#14
post #9

What do investment banking interns (and bankers) do which benefits from such long hours? Lots of manual data processing? Reading? I absolutely benefit from uninterrupted stretches of 12-24h working on problems sometimes, but only infrequently -- usually hit diminishing returns between 4-12h. The only times where I've been useful >24h was when the task was more "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other peo…

It's a gut check for motivation. How badly do you want to be there? Are you willing to give almost everything for the firm?

Hazing might be a part of it but I see it more like boot camp than anything else. Weed out those who don't have the fortitude and drive. They don't want employees who value family time over the company, for example. Forcing people to work insane hours will self select for the "right stuff".

It's not about productivity, it's about cultivating a specific culture.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#15

So what exactly do they do there for so many hours a day? I'm having a hard time imagining anyone doing anything productive for that long.

Even if they adhere to this new rule that's still 17-hour days. Does not sound balanced at all to me. I assume these guys work the weekends so it's a 119-hour workweek.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#16
post #9

What do investment banking interns (and bankers) do which benefits from such long hours? Lots of manual data processing? Reading? I absolutely benefit from uninterrupted stretches of 12-24h working on problems sometimes, but only infrequently -- usually hit diminishing returns between 4-12h. The only times where I've been useful >24h was when the task was more "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other peo…

> "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other people or long-running processes"

It's exactly this in I-banking, from what I understand. A lot of the day is spent tweaking/waiting. Towards the end of the day, you get feedback from clients/managers, and that's when the "real work" starts.

From an external perspective, it's always struck me as horribly inefficient.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#17
post #13

So what exactly do they do there for so many hours a day? I'm having a hard time imagining anyone doing anything productive for that long.

Investment banking is all about dealing with other people's money and the customers usually are pretty demanding when it's well, about their money. From what I hear from my investment banker friends a lot of the day is spent socializing and going on client meetings, lunches, dinners to satisfy the relationship and then usually back to the office to do the 'actual work'. It's a lot of hard work but that's why these gu…

... They don't put the interns out there schmoozing with the customers.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#18
post #9

What do investment banking interns (and bankers) do which benefits from such long hours? Lots of manual data processing? Reading? I absolutely benefit from uninterrupted stretches of 12-24h working on problems sometimes, but only infrequently -- usually hit diminishing returns between 4-12h. The only times where I've been useful >24h was when the task was more "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other peo…

It's bootcamp for finance.

Re: Goldman Sachs Tells Interns to End the Late, Late Show

#20
post #9

What do investment banking interns (and bankers) do which benefits from such long hours? Lots of manual data processing? Reading? I absolutely benefit from uninterrupted stretches of 12-24h working on problems sometimes, but only infrequently -- usually hit diminishing returns between 4-12h. The only times where I've been useful >24h was when the task was more "set up this thing which has lots of waiting on other peo…

I've seen how this works at somewhat close quarters. They are expected to shadow a manager (or their mentor or somebody senior), go to meetings, take notes, prepare presentations, revise presentations, rework presentations because their boss' boss' boss didn't like it, prepare reports for that meeting at 9am tomorrow morning.

It's essentially grind work (which also includes bringing coffee/lunch or if you really are up to it, walking the boss' dog). It makes me wonder if they ever get to learn anything at all, but I guess making presentations and creating good first impressions matter a lot in the long run. But what do I know.

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