Below, Rayan Acra, has provided insight into his time at Greenhill and the skills needed to suceed.
''Most rewarding part is assessing the growing responsibility that the team will entrust you with. To name a few, you will have to work with clients directly, lead calls, work on marketing materials or live project requests.''
Why did you decide to start your career as an Analyst at Greenhill?
Having interned in different institutions, I realised that Greenhill would give me the right platform and tools to progress in my career. The tight-knit culture between colleagues and senior employees would only fosters learning experiences from different seniorities but also strengthens your knowledge in different sectors. On the other hand, I hoped that having the opportunity to be generalist at a junior level would allow me to work in different sectors, engage in a wide-range of transaction types, and enhance my acumen with regard to modelling and sector knowledge. From the culture through to the opportunity to work on strategic transactions – I had no doubt that starting my career at Greenhill would be the right choice for me!
What were the biggest challenges of getting up to speed?
As an Analyst, the biggest challenge faced was adapting quickly to the fast pace of the industry and to be able to manage different projects at the same time, hence the importance of establishing effective communication internally (and with clients, most importantly). This approach will not only set expectations accordingly but also ensure that you are on the right track when it comes to deliverables. Moreover, delivering under tight deadlines, and handling last minute requests were other challenges to cope with. Therefore, re-emphasizing the importance of having good communication skills to manage expectations.
What is the most rewarding part of your role?
Most rewarding part is assessing the growing responsibility that the team will entrust you with. To name a few, you will have to work with clients directly, lead calls, work on marketing materials or live project requests, etc. Hence, the importance of having the right team and set-up to give you the confidence and guidance (when needed) to succeed early on in your career. Furthermore, having put a lot of effort into the work and facing different types of challenges along the road, seeing a deal on which you have worked complete, and then the financial press is talking about it, is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
What skills would you say you use the most on an everyday basis?
To be successful, you would need to master and forge different skill sets – But I would say the ability to learn quickly, grasp and understand (in a short period of time) new concepts / information received, would be essential. Additionally, managing different projects and the ability to work under stressful environments while still paying close attention to detail, would be indispensable skills to polish and hone when you progress in your career.
From your current position, what advice would you give to students considering an internship at Greenhill?
Greenhill is truly an institution that invests in its people – even before starting my internship, I had an appreciation of that by talking to different people from the London and Paris offices. So don’t be shy in reaching out and asking your questions! It will give you a chance to have a better understanding of the culture and the working environment.
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