An interview with Stockholm's three new analysts
We shot some questions at Livingstone’s three new Analysts in the Stockholm office, asking about their first months and if there have been any bumps in the road so far.
What expectations have Livingstone lived up to?
Zak: It really is a learning experience for juniors in the organization. You genuinely get to learn by doing. It’s hands-on investment banking from the very start.
Alex: We went to the annual off-site event in Valencia – the annual retreat where everyone from all the offices meet up in one place, and then you really got a feel for how international the firm is. The global team is very familiar, which I really enjoy. I look forward to working more with colleagues in the other offices.
Henrik: Steep learning curve, right from the start. I was thrown into producing material on my first day, which was exciting. Moreover, the international ambiance that was promised during the interviews really became apparent during the global event in Valencia.
What’s surprised you? Anything you didn’t expect?
Henrik: During the recruitment process, everyone said that the work would be really hands-on and that even as an analyst, you’ll be working close to clients. Turns out this wasn’t an empty promise – I was in meetings with clients and potential clients in the first weeks on the job!
Alex: It’s a hard-working, but also really relaxed, work environment. I hoped for a non-typical investment bank experience, and Livingstone is living up to that. It’s creative, driven by individual initiative and highly motivating for someone like me, who has a fundamental interest in business.
What challenges have you met (and hopefully overcome!) so far?
Zak: I was literally dropped into the middle of a sales process my first day on the job and expected to deliver – that was challenging! Thankfully, I got a lot of support from my colleagues who gave me the confidence to push on. I got up to speed pretty fast and, incredibly, was part of closing a deal less than five months after I started.
Henrik: The first pitch I worked on was for a baby products company. The entire range was completely alien to me and an important part of the pitch was outlining areas of product diversification as part of a growth strategy. I was literally doing market research on diapers, and completely out of my comfort zone. It was a real learning experience, trying to be a newfound expert like that.
Any advice to offer to someone considering joining the Livingstone team?
Henrik: Finish your master’s thesis before coming to work for Livingstone – the spare time you can dedicate to it will be very limited. Take my word for it, haha.
Zak: There are three main attributes that you need to have in investment banking – slightly above average intelligence, socially adept and an unrivaled desire for closing deals.
Alex: I think you really need to enjoy the entrepreneurial spirit of Livingstone – it was the most significant change when coming from a large French multinational firm as I did – where things tend to move slow. So far, I love it.
