This is a mail that one of my senior colleagues (whom I admired for his work) sent to guide the junior analysts (working in the Research Division of an I-bank). I believe many of the points can be adapted by junior folks for their specific fields
The most important challenge is to be on top of the mind of your lead analyst. He should think of you as the first person to delegate a task. As long as he keeps on giving you more work, you would enjoy the job and move ahead. If your analyst is senior and has many associates in US/UK, this will be tough to ensure.
- One nice way of keeping in touch is to send a daily news update. If the analyst concerned says "don't send", tell him that this is a nice way for you (not the analyst) to keep in touch with the sector, so keep sending anyways even when asked to not send
- Many teams also publish regular monthly reports. No body wants to work on them (because over time they become repetitive/boring). Try to take charge of that. The US team will be too glad to let you do it and you will immediately get involved in the entire work of the team (Monthly will require you to work on all the important models and key research themes)
- Some times lead analysts (the senior kind) may be too busy marketing and would not stay in touch with you even when you are sending the daily/monthly. There are two tricks to make them notice you.
(A) Search some news items that support the investment thesis of the analyst (there are always some) and try to write a small paragraph which essentially says "this is what we have been saying all along….". The boss will be too glad to use it in his marketing and will also respond with comments like "well said"/exactly....
(B) If approach A does not work: Search some news items that contradict the investment thesis of the analyst (there are always some) and come up with a well reasoned argument, which is against the team's investment thesis, is not offensive and is not directed at the analyst but is casually part of the news. If the argument is valid, you are almost sure to get a response to it.
- Keep on asking for work till your hands are full or the boss says some thing like "climb a tree, get down, climb again and get down,… keep doing till further instructions". The most stupid way to screw up in this job is to allow your boss to not give you work
- If you are given too many dead end and boring tasks, finish them anyways but try to start some other good quality assignments on your own. Do not wait for your boss to give you higher value added work, take your own initiative
- You will gain access to you team's drive. Sniff around. You will often get lots of useful information
- Read the old research of your team
The most important challenge is to be on top of the mind of your lead analyst. He should think of you as the first person to delegate a task. As long as he keeps on giving you more work, you would enjoy the job and move ahead. If your analyst is senior and has many associates in US/UK, this will be tough to ensure.
- One nice way of keeping in touch is to send a daily news update. If the analyst concerned says "don't send", tell him that this is a nice way for you (not the analyst) to keep in touch with the sector, so keep sending anyways even when asked to not send
- Many teams also publish regular monthly reports. No body wants to work on them (because over time they become repetitive/boring). Try to take charge of that. The US team will be too glad to let you do it and you will immediately get involved in the entire work of the team (Monthly will require you to work on all the important models and key research themes)
- Some times lead analysts (the senior kind) may be too busy marketing and would not stay in touch with you even when you are sending the daily/monthly. There are two tricks to make them notice you.
(A) Search some news items that support the investment thesis of the analyst (there are always some) and try to write a small paragraph which essentially says "this is what we have been saying all along….". The boss will be too glad to use it in his marketing and will also respond with comments like "well said"/exactly....
(B) If approach A does not work: Search some news items that contradict the investment thesis of the analyst (there are always some) and come up with a well reasoned argument, which is against the team's investment thesis, is not offensive and is not directed at the analyst but is casually part of the news. If the argument is valid, you are almost sure to get a response to it.
- Keep on asking for work till your hands are full or the boss says some thing like "climb a tree, get down, climb again and get down,… keep doing till further instructions". The most stupid way to screw up in this job is to allow your boss to not give you work
- If you are given too many dead end and boring tasks, finish them anyways but try to start some other good quality assignments on your own. Do not wait for your boss to give you higher value added work, take your own initiative
- You will gain access to you team's drive. Sniff around. You will often get lots of useful information
- Read the old research of your team
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