Breaking into top finance roles means embarking on one of the most intense and potentially rewarding career paths. Long hours, steep learning curves, and high-stakes deliverables will test even the most driven junior analyst or associate. But with the right playbook, you can not only survive but also build lasting momentum. This article aims to show you how to evaluate potential employers, navigate day-to-day pressures without burning out, and thrive both technically and culturally in a demanding finance environment.

Understanding Firm Landscape

Before joining a firm, learn as much as possible about a firm’s hours and culture to pick one that fits your style. There is no “right answer, everyone is different. Generally, bulge bracket banks demand the longest hours, followed by middle market shops and boutiques, which tend to be lighter. At peak times, all three will likely have you finishing in the early hours of the morning, and possibly overnighters, to meet deadlines.It can also be helpful to learn about the current market and its effects on the department you are considering working in. How often is the team slammed, and for how long are you expected to grind 70-100 hours a week?Firm culture matters just as much. Seek to understand hierarchy importance – some firms, the seniors do more of the work, others help you do the job, others tell you when they need it done. Understand if it is a sink or swim type role – are you expected to pick things up without guidance or else you’re out, or will there be coaching and development (for all grad roles, will be more coaching focused). Also, figure out the social norms. Does the firm commonly have Thursday night drinks, and does it have a good volunteering program?Understanding the firm before joining can be difficult. The people in the interview will generally not give you a straight answer on any of the above. The only way to really tell is to speak to someone who has worked there in the role you are applying for.

Surviving as a junior

To do well as a junior, you need to work well with your seniors. People don’t tell you, but you have very little control over your time as a junior. Your direct seniors will determine how you spend most of your time and set expectations on more than you realise. Many people advise boundary setting, etc... However, in practice, this isn't easy. If you have the luxury of choice when choosing a job, make selecting people you want to spend your time with the key consideration. Do you think your seniors will respect you, your objectives and sanity?When you know that you are about to enter a busy period, there are a few ways to prepare:Be realistic about your outside-of-work commitments. You probably won’t be able to socialise and play your usual sport. If you have travel upcoming, think about how you could potentially work while on holiday (again, to what extent will depend on the firm's culture) or move your travel.Seek to outsource personal life admin where possible. Get pre-made meals, send your laundry out and consider getting a cleaner. Consider how you can use your firm’s meal allowance on Deliveroo/Uber Eats (while still meeting your dietary requirements) and confirm your firm’s policies on late-night travel (e.g. they may pay for an Uber/taxi home after a particular hour). Utilising benefits / investing in time-saving services will allow you to find more time to recover/sleep and perform better in your career… see it as an investment. During peak work, saving an hour a day could mean an hour of extra sleep!When going through an intense working period, you must be honest with your team and appropriately set expectations. Your senior would prefer to know that you can only get 15 out of the 20 slides done by tomorrow now, rather than finding out tomorrow you’ve been up all night and only got 17 done and now exhausted and not thinking clearly. When you say you will do something, be the person who delivers.If you play sports consistently outside of work, tell people about it! Especially if you have always played this sport at a high level. That way, when you have a key game, there will be social pressure on seniors to allocate resources to give you the best chance of playing. Game times are fixed, so being clear with your team when you need to leave and when you will be back and available to work will be key.Keep an ear to the ground. Knowing what is happening in the wider firm and at different levels is essential, as well as all parts of a political game that is played but never openly talked about. Learning about the reputation of working with different individuals is important, so you can learn from others' mistakes, as each senior’s style is different. You also want to protect your interests and build your reputation in the firm. This will likely not be easy as a junior, but as you become more senior, managing your brand and internal politics will become increasingly important as you go for senior promotions and gain more significant bonuses.Once you’ve figured out how to survive in your role, the next step is to build the habits that will allow you to excel…

Thriving

Thriving in a fast-paced finance role is difficult, and managing burnout is a significant challenge. From my experience, the people who succeed do three things well:They develop good habits to get the basics done well and consistently learn and build strong personal relationshipsThey manage their energy so they can consistently perform over the long term; andThey communicate well, set clear expectations, ask questions early, and deliver on their commitments.In the early stages, you are continuously learning because there will be a steep learning curve. However, once you’ve learned the technical elements of the expert, soft skills and relationships will be what allow you to progress in your career both internally and ultimately win business as a senior. Developing these skills early will allow you to progress and thrive in a fast-paced, demanding industry.Choosing where and how you spend your early career hours will set the tone for everything that follows. You'll avoid the common traps of burnout by doing your homework on firm culture, arming yourself with survival tactics, and investing in the relationships and habits that drive long-term success. Ultimately, a sustainable, high-impact finance career isn’t about logging the most hours but making each hour count.