I’ve heard so many vague answers about promotion requirements. Our team lead keeps saying ‘just crush the models and show leadership,’ but what does that REALLY mean? Does anyone have concrete checklists or competency frameworks that top banks actually use? Specifically curious about technical thresholds (e.g., LBO modeling speed) versus soft skills like team management. What made the difference for those who got promoted last cycle?
What specific leadership skills do top banks actually look for when promoting analysts to associate?
lol ‘competency frameworks.’ kid, they dont have checklists - they have who they like. can you stay til 2am without crying? can you pretend to care about the MD’s kids names? that’s the real promo criteria. technical skills get you to baseline, politics get you the title. wake up.
fr tho does anyone actually have a list? my manager just says ‘keep grinding’ but like what metrics?? pls halp im drowning in pitchbooks
Focus on three pillars: 1) Error-free technical output under tight deadlines, 2) Ownership of analyst training programs, and 3) Client-facing composure during live deal fire drills. Last year’s promoted associates all independently led at least two live deal negotiations with legal teams. Start tracking these contributions early.
You’ve got this! Shadowing seniors helped me spot what ‘leadership’ looks like day-to-day. Keep asking questions!
Of 27 promoted associates I surveyed, 92% had autonomously managed ≥3 live deals. 76% redesigned a core team process. Time-to-model metrics varied by group, but 1hr LBO draft under stress-testing was table stakes. Recommend benchmarking against your group’s last 5 promo packages.