<p>Ok, I have been searching for hours on this topic and can't seem to find the answer. It is no secret that IB has a huge burn out rate. This is said to be because of those awesome "exit opportunities" in PE or Hedge Funds. From the stories and information I saw, IB analyst are expected to pull 80 hour weeks and take it as normal. For me, my goal is to get into PE. However, after seeing IB hours, I am not sure that PE would fit my work life balance that I am searching for. Sure PE might be better than IB analyst, but if its only 70 hour weeks versus 80+ at IB, I don't think it would be worth it for me. So basically my question is, are there boutique investment banks or PE firms that have somewhat normal hours? When I mean normal, I mean leaving work by 6 pm. I know there will be crunch times where you will have to stay very late and thats ok for me. I just don't want to have 60+hour work weeks as normal. Any comments or direction would be very welcomed.</p>
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<p>I don’t think you are suited for any IB, PE or hedge fund track.</p>
<p>You want PE salary and 45 hour weeks? bahaha</p>
<p>Well what are their hours? From time they get in until the time they get out. Don’t count the commute to and from work. I have not seen a single thing on the hours that these guys work. I have seen investment banking stories and I can understand why everyone except the few a select few that go higher up the totem pole exit. I have yet to hear any real annecdotal or statisitcal accounts of work life in PE. Also, when I say PE I don’t meen blackstone or kkr. Their are a lot of smaller and middle market shops that I am sure differ from the uber mega funds. So before you call me crazy or not fit, give me some evidence. What was the aum and how long do the analyst work?</p>
<p>Edit: Also, will the hours be just as bad if you are in a location like chicago?</p>
<p>Look, if you want to make the money you have to put in the time. There’s no way you’re going to be making six figures with a 40 hour work week, especially not as a twentysomething. Whether in law, i-banking, consulting, accounting, or the hard sciences, working 10-12 hours a day and working most weekends will probably be the norm.</p>
<p>Jclay you would probably only survive in some sort of back/mid office jobs where the hours are closer to 50/wk. Don’t you go to Utah or somewhere like that? Seems like a match made in heaven.</p>
<p>Ok the messages that are borderline attacks are getting a little annoying. All I have been asking for is a range of hours the exit opportunities give. Thus far, I havn’t gotten a single authoritative answer. After continuing my search I did find this hedge fund survey,<a href=“http://www.jobsearchdigest.com/hedge_fund_jobs/career_advice/hedge_fund_compensation_2008[/url]”>http://www.jobsearchdigest.com/hedge_fund_jobs/career_advice/hedge_fund_compensation_2008</a>, that I think would be interesting for conversation. 50% of the workers in this hedge fund survey worked 50 hours or less a week. A large majority of the workers are new to the industry, so they can’t all possibly be the higher ups. Also nearly 40% of these guys said they had good work life balance. After doing countless searches this is the first real data I have seen for work culture in any exit opportunities. Is this valid at all? Also, the more examples anyone has of work hours in the exit opportunities, let me hear them.</p>
<p>Are you serious? This is an isolated blip, with no real discernible trend and very sketchy data (50% of analysts/specialists, or are support staff included?; same for 40% on worklife balance - is it 1 pm, 5 analysts, and 5 hr people at the firm?). Do you even know what the investment thesis for this “supposed” HF is? Global macro, l/s e, event-driven…? Because I’m beginning to assume that its only strategy is “UTTER FAIL”</p>
<p>And how are you going to acquire the experience needed for that HF w/o doing S&T?</p>
<p>Jclay, the reason you’re not finding solid data on HF/PE hours is because they vary widely by fund and function.</p>
<p>It’s possible to find good work/life balance in a front office role in a fund but don’t count on it at the junior level. Put in a couple years of hard work, gain experience, and you’ll find the right firm for you.</p>
<p>There are too many people who want these sort of jobs who are willing to (even take pride in) working 100+ hour weeks. That’s just how the industry is.</p>
<p>My son works in PE after working in IB for 3 1/2 years. His hours are not less than 60 hours a week, albeit less than when he was in IB.However, he is traveling more often for work and the hours pile up. He is at an IB VP level.</p>
<p>Search wall street oasis .com for a number of threads on this topic…the average hours are around to 60 to 70 hours a week with usually no work on weekends</p>
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<p>Perhaps not every weekend, but most end up doing SOMETHING work related at home either finishing up loose ends or prep for next week.</p>
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<p>In three buyside jobs (HF, PE, IM) since my initial IB analyst stint, I would say I’ve averaged ~50-55 hours per week. However, I’ve probably been more drawn to positions that allowed for a more reasonable lifestyle than what the average would be.</p>
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I would say it’s possible to make 100K/year @ age 29 working ~40 hours a week.</p>
<p>^^as what – a high end plumber?</p>