Do you work against strict deadlines in investment managment? How do you handle that kind of stress?
I work well when I don't have a strict deadline. I get way too anxious when I have to have something done by a specific time so I'm afraid I'm not cut out for a career in investment management. Can you share how often you are working on a deadline and how important those deadlines are in your success? #finance #financial-services #investment-management #investing
3 answers
Cheryl’s Answer
At PIMCO I work on deadlines everyday, some more loose than others. I have a running list of tasks that I need to complete by a certain time in the month each month or quarterly. Our team also receives one-off requests for data from internal PIMCO individuals or external parties, and those requests typically need to be turned around in 24 hours.
What helps me to stick to deadlines is prioritizing my workload in order of due date and importance/difficulty, and breaking down larger projects into smaller pieces so I don't feel overwhelmed. Its also good practice to be honest with the amount of time you have to complete a task. If you are assigned work, and don't feel you have the necessary amount of time to complete the task by the deadline, it is better to communicate your concerns, rather than missing the deadline completely. At PIMCO, we work as a team pretty well, so you can always ask for help from your colleagues and/or managers. It may take some adjustment to working on a deadline, but it is fairly common practice in investment management.
Pamela’s Answer
Hi Matt - working with deadlines is actually part of almost every career. It may seem like too much pressure - other teams and clients expecting you to deliver and complete a task by an agreed upon deadline - but it is actually something you can adapt fairly easy. Once you are used to it, deadlines are no longer a headwind but rather a tailwind.
When you join a team, you will learn to prioritize and how to improve your time management.
That said, delivering results and tasks in time makes you a very reliable employee and that is extremely important for professional growth.