How Much do Investment Bankers Really Work?

In this video, we explain how many hours you'll have to work at a TOP investment bank. The most competitive groups with the best deal flow and recruiting options typically require you to work 60-80 hours per week. We break down what a 60 and 80 hour work week look like and explain why 100 hours per week is likely exaggerated.

We break down the investment banking workflow to show you why so many hours are required. There's a combination between external factors (the market, the client, the complexity) and internal factors (your firm's culture and proficiency).

0:00 - Intro
1:22 - Investment Banking Hours Distribution
2:06 - 60 Hour Work Week Schedule
2:52 - 80 Hour Work Week Schedule
4:00 - Factor Determining Banking Hours

Peak Frameworks is a business career prep service started by Matt Ting and Patrick Fong, who have each spent several years working in investment banking and private equity in New York and Silicon Valley. Matt and Patrick met at Evercore, a top tier investment bank, and over the years have tutored and coached dozens of candidates to land their dream business job.

#InvestmentBanking #Finance #Careers

[datascientist]

This is the best video explaining working hours in a particular career field I've seen so far. The way you breakdown typical daily work in a week is informative.

[matthewgillespie]

It is generally hard to find good videos about investment banking, which is why I loved this video. Thanks!

[evanfisher]

Good video! I worked as a banker and agree with your points. I averaged ~70 hours per week. My easiest week was probably 40ish and my worst was 117 (I counted). I only had 2 weeks over 100 hours over 1 year. Working past 100 really messes you up, I was walking around dizzy and delirious by the end.

[vuho]

2 things to keep in mind:
- After a certain amount, the mind begins shutting down and the mistakes, formula errors, etc.. increased so much that the next day is a lot of double checking last night's work. Not productive. I've been an SFA for 20 years.
- Killer hours need to be balanced with the compensation. Remember you're being paid big bucks for the pain. This is what a manager told me after I "lost it" one night.

[FaiazZaman]

Lol was studying finance from investing interest and was thinking into moving into finance (currently in IT), watching this video I think Im gonna stick where I am now, i go to office wearing sweat pants and sometimes (actually most of the time) work 30 hours a week if I exclude all those 2 hour lunch and napping break I take lol

[FinancewithEJ]

Thanks for this video very informative and it’s good to see that you done it and telling us the hours and the job as a whole.. I want to be an Investment Banker after college and have my own firm after 💯

[TheBulldogsk]

"its mainly done in excel" oh

[ryuken]

Heading into the summer with an internship at a large IB as an associate. Thanks for the information.

[StreetFighterIIFeb]

what a well done video with data to show how the day is split by hours. the biggest difficulty for me is the lack of exercise and SLEEP. those two things are killer. i know you can't have it all of course but this is so nice to see from the outside. i hate desk jobs where you don't move around often. easily gain weight and raise LDL and triglycerides and risk of diabetes. that all adds up real quick. but that;s just my side of the story. there are others who make the opposite happen in your industry., NO sour grapes from me, no sir!

[zayadashraf]

My plan is to go from IB into private Equity. Currently in my first year at a top uni so just taking it easy making sure my grades are good and hopefully I land an internship in my second year!!

[jean-baptistesay]

The 100 hour weeks are reserved for Apollo’s associates

[cwang]

Part of the reason the culture is to work this many hours is because if you work double the hours you learn much more.

Compared to an analyst at a mutual fund or buy side real money am Ibanking analyst will learn 3x+ more and also network more

The other thing is that senior members don’t have time to work with jr members earlier in the day. Have to take care of shit with deals and clients etc. so work is dropped off later in the day which forces analysts to work more at night because you get the work at night when senior members are going home

[samuelng]

Is it possible to make a video on your daily life as an investment banker and what are your daily roles and responsibilities? Or maybe describing what does an investment banker does?

[saurabhnarain]

Watching a video about IB hours to make myself feel better about my IB hours while working on a Sunday night…yeah sounds about right

[danieldragan]

I found this video very informative as I am personally not in the field. I am currently a high school student and was wondering if you could make a video on what is the best way to break into the field. By this I mean major feeder schools students should focus on and things you should be adding to your resume as well as if it is possible to get in from a non-target.

[Trenacetate]

I work in a corporate strategy. m-f 9-6 with an hour break. sometimes I got off at 7 or 8 but very rarely so it is 40 hours a week, and I dont work on weekend at all.
I love finance and capital markets but, I'mma be sticking with my job and trade stocks on the side lol..

[Sharpshooter]

Are you familiar with the term "prostitute mileage?" It's the total number of 'tricks' a pimp determines a prostitute can take before she goes insane. Is there a "mileage" concept in investment banking as well? If there is, don't you think 80 hours a week EXCEEDS that?

[IndependentVictor]

Hello nice vid! I wanted to ask you something. I'm really interested in Investment Banking and Venture Capital, but I'm a bit late to the game. I'll be graduating from Business and Law at 28, because I started uni later than my peers. Is age a limiting factor in that industry? Like, do they throw you out of the selection process once you see you're older than the rest? I will try to go through anyway but was just trying to gather some opinion from people who've actually worked there.I got some working experience in unrelated industries under my belt, but I'm willing to do the sacrifice altogether. Thanks mate.

[justexcel]

Great video. Thank you. Is 60-80 per week for analysts? Or can an associate expect the same hours?

[samwhaddad]

Matt, how about vacation time? How many days did you and your peers take your first year (July -> Dec 31), 2nd and 3rd?

-First-year analyst that keeps going back and forth on wether to take a week or not