20 rules when working in High Finance

First year - second year in Investment Banking will be the worst, you are just a rat doing Excels (comps, precedents, financial models), PowerPoints most of the time. As seniors do not trust you with relationships yet. This may be the fastest way to break into Hedge Fund, so smile through the pain for 2 years. 

The real test: eating shit, staying reliable, and grinding until your exit. 

When it comes to closing deals, learn to embrace silence and let the other side do the talking. When you talk too much, you broadcast insecurity. When you fill every pause, you risk saying the one thing that offends a decision-maker or sinks the entire negotiation. True confidence is quiet and observant, you should only speak when it has value to add. Don't talk your way out of a deal you could have listened your way into. 

The power of saying less extends far beyond business. In any conversation, talking too much signals a lack of confidence and can lead to being perceived as superficial. True strength lies in listening. It allows you to learn, shows respect for others, and ensures that when you do speak, your words carry far more weight.