Avoiding Burnout: Banking

The term ‘burnout’ is used to describe when someone literally works themselves into the ground in a particular sector, so much so that they feel they simply cannot carry on any more. Burnout is common in the fast-paced industries that are typical of the financial sector, but none more so than Investment Banking, where long hours, the competitive nature of the business and the often cut-throat promotion challenges mean that everyone is often running at 110% all the time. Here’s three top tips on how to avoid running out of fuel.

One Task at a Time

You burn energy and useful time by trying to multitask on various projects simultaneously, which is useful to no-one. Get yourself onto a schedule and start to plan meticulously when you’re going to spend time doing each project, which will allow you to structure your days and the rest of your life, around your work schedule. By prioritising the right tasks and making sure that on a day by day basis you’re pleased with where you are, you’ll have more time to relax to yourself because you’ll know that your work is in hand at all times.

Don’t Get Blinded by the Bright Lights

The opportunities to make lots of money are plentiful and you’ll see them all around you in the industry, so it’s easy to get sucked in to biting off more than you can chew. Step back and analyse the situation before volunteering for every project that comes along – there’s plenty of time and chances are that your salary is excellent already – don’t jeopardise anything by making the wrong calls and having to spend 16 hours a day at your desk.

Make Reasonable Promises

Never give the earliest date that you might be able to complete a task by, because you never know what’s going to get in the way, no matter how simple the task may seem. If you set yourself goals which are more manageable and give yourself some space to breathe, you’ll always deliver on your promises, rather than being the person that over-promises ambitious deadlines to people.