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What are Investment Banking Hours?
On average, an investment banker works for 80 hours a week. But, yes, there may be some weeks where their working hours may go around to 100 hours a week. The working hours will also differ for different positions of employees.
With time, some banks have begun to realize the need for “no work on weekends.” But still, the investment bankers are expected to complete the given amount of work in the given timeframe only.
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- The field of investment banking demands individuals to work for long hours for their job, and the need for unending work pressure and workload is a feature in this field.
- An average investment banker works for around 80 hours a week, but some weeks this may increase to around 100 hours a week depending upon certain situations.
- The working hours differ based on the position of the investment banker. An investment banker analyst works the longest, around 80 hours a week. Whereas, for banking associates and Vice Presidents, the average work time would be around 60-80 hours a week. Managing Directors face a lower workload and generally cater to important and more pressing issues.
Investment Banking Hours by Position
Well, the working hours differ from one position to another.
#1 - Investment Banking Analysts
An investment banking analyst works for as high as 80 hours a week. Thus, they suffer long working hours and little work-life balance.
#2 - Investment Banking Associates
The investment banking associates usually work less than the analysts since the associates are way ahead of analysts in learning. On average, an investment banking associate spends approximately 65-75 hours a week. The work becomes manageable for an associate, and he also learns to manage the time.
#3 - Vice President
The role of the Vice President is to pitch new clients, manage the clients and support the senior-most management, says the Managing Director. The working hours of a Vice President usually vary from 60-80 hours and are dependent on how active he is in taking up the work.
#4 - Managing Director
Managing Directors do not stay in the office premises for long hours. This is because they are mostly into client meetings. That is why there is a lot of traveling work and client interaction involved for a Managing Director.
Why are Long Hours of Work for Investment Bankers?
A question arises here: why are there long working hours for investment banking executives? The reason is that the investment bankers are entrusted with the responsibility of managing the investments, and thus, a large amount of money of the clients remains at stake. Thus, there is a huge responsibility that they are required to meet. In addition, the analysts spend most of their time preparing the research reports and presentations to make an attractive pitch for the client. This takes a lot of their time since the objective is not just sales but to make a good client pitch. Moreover, since many client interactions are involved, the work hours tend to expand.
What does an Analyst of Investment Banking Do?
The role of an investment banking analyst involves research, analysis, and report-based work.
- They involve themselves in carrying out intense research for various types of industries. They visit the company website, search for relevant news, and even connect with the company representatives to carry out the research. Their research makes notes or a case study as to the pros and cons of investing in a particular company or industry.
- One of the important parts of their job is to prepare financial valuation models in excel spreadsheets for relevant deals. In doing so, they keep track of the financial trends of the investments under review.
- The third key area of the job profile of an investment banking analyst is to prepare a presentation for pitching them to potential clients. They are expected to communicate and prepare quality and attractive presentations. Moreover, they are expected to give presentations for the IPO too.
Thus, as evident from above, the role of investment banking analyst is linked to research work and preparation of relevant case studies, notes and paper works and to assist their seniors with pitching to the client.
Conclusion
The job of an investment banker is surely attractive. However, if you want to pursue your career in investment banking, be ready to work hard and spend quality working hours at your office desk. In addition, having good communication will provide you an edge over others!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The average workload of an investment banker is 80 hours a week. However, these hours may differ based on the job position and responsibilities.
The main responsibility of an analyst is to do market and equity research. Financial modeling is another key factor for analysts, wherein they have to create financial modeling for various corporations. The main job specification is interpreting and communicating this analysis to clients, potential investors, and financiers.
In an investment bank, the analysts have to work for around 80 hours a week, making their workload the highest. In contrast, banking associates and vice presidents work around 60-80 hours a week, depending on the work profiles. The managing directors have to bear the major financial risk, however, feature a low workload and minimal office hours.
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