I'm gay: Trading or Banking?

Assuming I for lack of a better word like the penis, and am very open about it, which environment would be more hostile to my career advancement? I would guess trading due to the macho attitude of most trading floors, but then again banking is more traditional and probably less open to people diverting from the traditional path. Can gays even advance past entry-level positions on Wall Street in this politically correct world, or, like people from non-targets, are they pretty much pushed out the door after two years?

 
Best Response

Does it even matter? I don't think it would matter if you did a good job.

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-
 

Being gay is a plus in ibanking. Since you'll be around hotties to you all day, you'll probably have more engery and be more motivated than everyone else. Plus you will eventually find some closet homosexual MD, hook up with, and use that to get max bonus/promoted faster.

In trading, guys don't want to deal with girls or guys that sound girly. So ibanking will be your best bet.

 
bmwhype:
gsmsml:
Wait until you see the HR on Wall Street, you will quickly change your preferences

HR girls are very articulate and pretty. they are the most refined and manicured girls u can meet.

hahaha

i think you mean "the most refined and manicured" goldiggers "u can meet"

 
gsmsml:
Wait until you see the HR on Wall Street, you will quickly change your preferences

A lot of the HR girls are just hot. But you get the real ugly ones too. Maybe I need to come to NY and check em out, seeing as you speak of them so highly.

Most of the HR chics in banks look very articulate and professional. Dress well and have perfectly sculptured legs. I remember this blonde who was heping with a recruitment drive, all I could do was focus on those long tanned legs of hers and she obviously knew where my focus was.

 

Just don't do what that guy from Sullivan & Cromwell did, which effectively put him in a losing position for 1) his lawsuit and 2) his career in BigLaw.

Also, don't flaunt and shout out that you like men. People will figure it out on their own. Don't have that become the way in which you are defined as an analyst.

 

Yeah, I agree as long as you aren't flamboyant or anything no one will know. Try to shy away from openly admitting it as there are a lot of people who would be uncomfortable(to say the least)with it.

 

If by chance there was another gay analyst in my class and we started f**cking in a conference room and got caught, they wouldn't be able to fire me right? I could just claim that they were discriminating based on sexual orientation and sue those bastards?

 

Trading. Most firms (if they're non cliquey) only care about P&L.
If you make money, couldn't care less if you were straight, gay, bi, whatever. As long as you're trustworthy and can look presentable, it won't matter (as long as you outperform)

 

MonacoMonkey hit the nail on the head. Trading is all P&L driven, so once you have the job team chemistry isn't that important. That being said if you're going to do an internship it will be tough since trading internships are basically all "beauty contests" since interns can't legally trade. But once you get the FT job it doesn't matter.

Banking, especially at the junior level, is very frat-like and there's an unspoken pressure to conform. I think it would be tough to fit in. At my BB coverage group one of our summer associates one year was a gay diversity hire. He just didn't fit in and that combined with mediocre work meant he didn't get the FT offer.

I imagine though that as a senior banker, it doesn't matter as much as long as you can find your niche of clients where being gay might be an advantage or at least not matter.

 

If you want to get something out of your 'minority' status then go for IB because trading doesn't care about who you like, there aren't politics involved; you either make money or you lose money and that's it.

 

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