Significant Career Lesson From An Investment Banking Associate At An Investment Bank
Jonathan, an Investment Banking Associate, emphasizes the crucial skill of "effectively managing up," adapting to the diverse management styles encountered across various deals and teams within the dynamic investment banking environment. This necessitates a flexible approach, unlike traditional roles with a single manager, requiring one to "effectively adapt to their different styles."
Adaptability, Management, Investment Banking, Career Advice, Leadership Styles
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jonathan Freeman
Investment Banking Associate
Middle Market Investment Bank
CWRU
UCSD Master of Finance, UCLA FTMBA
Economics
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Adaptability to different management styles is crucial in investment banking due to the nature of working on various deals with different managers.
2. Effective 'managing up' involves recognizing and adapting to the personalities and styles of multiple supervisors.
3. Investment banking requires navigating diverse team dynamics and management styles, unlike traditional jobs with a single manager.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
I think it's important to effectively manage up by recognizing the personality of whoever is managing you. In investment banking, this is really important because in a traditional job, you typically have one manager. If you're working in an office, you'll have one manager.
In investment banking, you get staffed on different deals, which means that in a given year, I might have five to ten different managers that I'm working for. You need to effectively adapt to their different styles.
Whereas in a normal job, you just get used to generally one style, whoever your boss is. But in this job, you need to learn how to adapt to different styles. You'll be staffed on different deals with different VPs, directors, and associates if you're an analyst. Being able to effectively navigate that is definitely important in this career.