This Week on The Floor

Jen and Kristen here! I don’t know about you, but our calendar year still seems to start in September — even though we’ve been out of school for nearly twenty years 😂.

And school is officially in session this month, as we gear up to launch our self-paced courses! These will not only help you land the job, but also make sure you are desk-ready with insider knowledge.

Join the waitlist here.

For newly minted analysts digging into their first weeks of work on the desk, we have a survival guide to help you manage the adjustment to your new life.

And as a quick follow up to our podcast episode from Saturday, we’re giving you a little extra color on options so you get full value out of Dan Nathan’s great explanation.

• What are the most important Greeks to know when it comes to Options?

• Analyst survival guide: what makes a good vs. a great analyst?

• Coming up on the economic calendar: all eyes on the last set of US data before the September Fed meeting.

Markets Recap / Deal News

Interviewing this week? Here’s some content for your conversation.

New Analyst Survival Guide

Many of you have asked us what you can do to prepare once you’ve secured your full-time offer. Or, what distinguishes a good analyst from a great one?

Here are three critical rules to follow that will ensure you ace your first year.

1. Lead with a spirit of service. 

   You’re not in school anymore.

   There’s no curriculum, and you may not be given regular assignments or projects the way you’re used to (depending on the role).

   An A- isn’t going to cut it.

   At any given time, you should be thinking “what can I do to make my (manager’s/teammate’s/client’s) life easier?”

   Act like a volleyball player — say “I’ve got this” early and often. Over-communicate.

   Listen and pay attention to what’s important to the person assigning you a task. Execute on those things.

   Finished a task? Offer to jump on and lend a hand even if something hasn’t been directly assigned to you.

   Ask not what your manager can do for you, but what you can do for your manager.

2. Don’t make the same mistake twice.

   Mistakes are part of learning. You are going to make them.

   But you have to demonstrate that you actually learned from each mistake.

   Making repeated errors demonstrates that you aren’t paying attention and that you don’t value the effort invested in teaching you from your teammates and managers.

   Ask questions strategically. Follow the “try three before me” rule — be resourceful and try to find the answer to your question by asking your peers, reliable resources, and support teams before asking a superior.

3. Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.

   Many will get caught up in drama and politics jockeying for position and favor.

   This strategy trades short term gains for long term success.

   Never try to make yourself look better by making someone else look foolish.

   Don’t gossip or exclude.

   Don’t get bogged down if someone is displaying toxic behavior towards you.

   Focus instead on how you can add value and draw strength from your accomplishments.

   Be a source of positivity rather than playing into the negative.

This Week in the Markets

If you’re interviewing for a job in any kind of markets-facing or investing-based role, it helps to have a handle on economic data releases.

We will be rolling out a training program helping you learn to read the financial news, starting in September.

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