Is hard work recognized?
1st year analyst inFItrading. I sometimes get the feeling that hard work is not recognized. I don't know if this is a team-specific thing, and it's also possible it's entirely in my head.
To provide a little context, I had a rough start to the team (a lot of variables not worth getting into, some in my control and some not) and erasing that first impression has been an uphill battle. I have worked extremely hard to learn the product and to perform my duties correctly, and would consider myself accountable and proactive in my role. I have excellent follow through on what I am asked to do and on a regular basis find myself leaving the office 2-3 hours after the last person on my floor has left.
虽然我觉得我的团队,尤其是我的医学博士的观点me more positively than they did when I first joined, I still get the feeling that they can't shake a view that I am somewhat average or even below average among analysts they have had in the past. As mentioned, I feel I'm doing everything in my power to dispel that notion, but being imperfect (and a first year analyst) there are times when I don't understand something or can't articulate it well and I feel like my MD views it as reaffirming any preconceived, negative view he has of me.
It's one thing to feel this way knowing I'm not putting in the time or the effort, but it's another to feel like I really do understand how things operate, feel like I do put in 110% effort, and work longer hours than almost any other S&T analyst and still feel like it's not recognized.
Is this a common feeling? Is it possible that it's all in my head and that my hard work is recognized? Does anyone have examples of times where they felt they were perceived negatively only to find out that they were in fact perceived positively? What's a good way to "check in" with my MD / team to level set my progress so far?
Comments (11)
Hey Analyst 1 in S&T - Other, I'm here to break the silence...any of these links help you?:
More suggestions...
Fingers crossed that one of those helps you.
一般科技奖励结果/小时,虽然h working harder and smarter is a great way to help get results. For your specific stuff, I'd be proactive about talking to traders and the MD(s) on the desk during market hours when there is a lull. Ask them about a client trade, or a view, and how they are expressing it. If I had to guess, it seems like you're doing a lot of the "check-the-boxes" sort of work, but one area you need to focus on is more visible work. It's very easy to get bogged down into working on some very micro projects, but one big part of the analyst role is signalling to people on your desk and the rest of the floor that not only are you smart and hard-working, but you're someone who can think and be creative.
The boring shit that analysts do and that nobody really sees or cares to remember is largely operational in nature. You generally need to be good at this so that people think you have good attention to detail, and they can trust you with more responsibility. However, the way to be good at the associate+ level is to generate good ideas, and follow through on long-term projects. That's a skill set that's a bit different to what you're expecting but at the end of the day, desks will hire and retain people that they think can be great down the road.
At the end of the day, I think analysts should view their two to three year stint as an opportunity to learn a lot about a specific market, and invest in themselves to set up the rest of their career. If they are viewing it as just an ops job, there's been a failing at the more senior levels at your desk. I'd definitely ask to get coffees or run into an impromptu 10 minute meeting with guys when they have some time, and really get some honest feedback about your performance. Generally, even if you are struggling, traders will take note of guys they think give a shit and are asking for feedback.
Hey, I appreciate the feedback.
I think I miscommunicated. While I do put in a ton of effort on the "ops" side of things, I think my contributions or at least my effort has stretched beyond that.
I'm not in a traditional trading role - saying what I do would do some damage to preserving my anonymity - but there are a number of tasks in this role that generally only come your way if you actively seek them out. Some of them are "milestones to hit", tasks that an analyst doesn't do when he first joins but can take on with time if they raise their hand. Some of them are things to get involved in to learn more - like doing research on credit profiles and sending that research around to the team. Will it be used? Likely no, but the point is to put it in front of the team for feedback in the hopes that you can refine your approach. I've done both of these types of things, so I like to think I have extended beyond the operational side of things.
Additionally, I am constantly inquisitive and, for better or for worse, question the status quo. The previous analyst was beloved by this team, but I've found instances where he did something incorrect, but taught me that that was the way to do things. I've since adjusted the process and notified the team why it's been changed, and for the most part it's been met with a shrug. There are other broken processes that I've taken initiative to fix - one of them being related to us getting flagged by compliance for bogus reasons. All of this is beyond the "typical scope" of an analyst role.
我说的说我觉得我把ting in the effort to go the extra mile, both in my day-to-day but also in learning about the product. I've learned so much about how things work, but it feels like no matter what effort I put in, my MD just can't recognize the progress I've made.
I'm trying to think of the best way to broach the topic is all. The team is pretty bro-y, so feel like raising it would just put a target on my back. But at the same time, I don't know how much longer I can get in early and leave 2 hours after the last analyst leaves without any semblance of recognition for my work. I'm tired of feeling like my boss views me as incompetent when I genuinely feel I'm anything but.
In general, most people actively dislike the operational stuff or the nitty-gritty "I fixed a formula" type stuff because they don't want to deal with it. At the end of the day, the desk wants their analyst to be someone they want to have on the team full time. That means someone they can trust to competently cover if people are out, someone that is social enough that it's not awkward to be around them all the time, and someone who can generate good ideas.
From the sounds of it, you probably are on track with the first of those, so I'd just think if there is anything that's affecting the other two. Most important though, you need to ask for direct feedback, and feel confident enough to push back when they say something that's not true (or something they hadn't thought about, but that you do). Seriously, it's the quickest way to gauge if something is wrong.
Anecdotally, I have about 20 things on my mind at any given time. While developing the analyst is on the list, it's competing with a lot of other things, so often times it gets de-prioritized unless the analyst talks to me about it and helps guide me on where I need to focus. I suspect it's similar for your desk as well.
No hard work isn't appreciated anywhere near as results but as the above comment notes your give a fuck factor will be taken into consideration. The most important thing though is how much of a fuck does your team give about you. Something I have picked up is that even if someone is being kind of a dick if they are helping you consistently it means they legitimately care and see potential in you. Be afraid for your job if they aren't actively helping. That all said don't cut yourself down and definitely get feedback from other market participants who aren't exposed to personal feelings bullshit of a crummy first impression. I left the first company I worked out of school for because my boss gave zero fucks and let me do whatever I want which was great but he wasn't teaching me anything either so I thought I must be utter shit. Low and behold I confide in some of my counterparts that I am wanting to leave and they all thought I was a fine trader in getting good deals out and not letting myself misprice my markets and I got offers from a few shops on that basis of what the other people I traded with saw.
Hey man. I'm in a very similar position - will leave it to others with more experience to offer solutions, but just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.
I appreciate that brother. Here's to hoping it's just growing pains.
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