Hours at middle market or boutique IB?

CFA General
#1

I know that at the bulge bracket investment banks they work you 100 hours a week or whatever it is. Are the hours at all better at mid market or boutique investment banks?

#2

Not really. Expect 60+. I’ve never come across an investment banker working ‘normal’ hours.

#3

not until you are 10-15+ years into it and in senior management roles where you can push stuff down on other people…

#4

Is the culture the same as BB?

#5

From what I hear, the hours and culture are not that different. Many of the highly ranked people at boutique firms come from “bulge bracket” companies, so they carry over the same management styles. Of course, I cannot guarantee that every company is like this. Obviously, each firm is different.

#6

How about Hulihan Lokey? Anyone? Thanks in advance.

#7

every investment banker I have ever known left the industry because they were tired of knowing how many hours there are in the week and having to work them all

#8

dhyun3 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > How about Hulihan Lokey? Anyone? > Thanks in advance. http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?1,1098465,1098699#msg-1098699

#9

Thanks!

#10

Hello Mister Walrus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > From what I hear, the hours and culture are not > that different. Many of the highly ranked people > at boutique firms come from “bulge bracket” > companies, so they carry over the same management > styles. Of course, I cannot guarantee that every > company is like this. Obviously, each firm is > different. This is correct – in fact, a lot of the mechanics of a deal process are similar no matter what size deal you work on, which is why some people find it less rewarding to work on smaller deals (the most common counter-argument, however, is that you often get to know the companies that you’re partnering with better, though this too is debatable). You are basically getting a slice of a smaller pie. Hours are still pretty rough, with 70-80 hours a week being fairly standard. If you’re working 60 hours a week in banking, either the bank isn’t doing their job or you’re not doing your job (or you took a couple days off for vacation).