Networking as a female?
I know the basic strategy of networking is the same...find connections, take the time, build relationships.
I just feel like in the real world it ends up playing out a little differently, when females network with male bankers (it's not a problem for me with female bankers). You can't deny that it's much harder to make the right kind of connection with males as a female (and conveniently, males dominate the banking world).
For example, guys can go out and get beers, get rowdy, talk about women and sports, etc. There's just an ease that comes about being one of the boys.
Or maybe I'm not doing it right. Anyway, that's just my two cents. If you guys have any tips on how I can improve this let me know.
Two tips, not that I have experience in this as a dude.
There are tons of 'women in banking' programs, especially if you're at a target these should be easy to get on. Networking events, meet and greets, special internship 'quotas'/sophomore programs, etc.
Pretty sure there's a networking guide for women WSO sells that you may want to look into.
Do you like breathing? If so, you can find some common ground with anyone (zombies excepted).
I always found it easy to to network with females, because you don't feel forced to talk about sports, golf, or locker room ass slaps.
If you have something interesting to have a conversation about, you will be fine. However, I assume you don't given your question and your concern.
You will just feel forced to talk about topics other than sports or golf, wouldn't it? Or it's easy because you can talk about their favourite banking position?
Thank you.
I can relate to this. Also, I've seen less women in front office roles.
OP are you assuming this is what's going to happen because you're taking stereotypes of Wall Street as reality? As stated above there are women networking groups but honestly we're not all mysogynistic asses who constantly drink beer, talk sports and try to screw every woman who walks in front of us (I imagine you going to a really fratty school, and I was in a fraternity so I'm not putting down fraternities). Some of those guys exist but they're in the minority and have greatly decreased even since I got in the business in the mid 90's.
Like DickFuld said above, you can find something to talk about with finance types. Most people in finance tend to be pretty smart and well educated so outside of talking shop or an ancillary like economics (which is usually pretty good because it's related but you're not necessarily talking about how interesting you find DCF and WACC), over the decades I've developed relationships with people over a shared interest in history, philosophy, and literature on the high intellectual end, to non combat/macho sports and activities like skiing, kayaking, exercising and sailing, to fixing cars, riding motorcycles and camping and hiking, among many other things. Get some outside interests and hobbies and just have interesting shit to talk about. And don't be shy and a wallflower because you're a woman.
I don't think I ever "got beers, got rowdy and talked about women" while networking with a college student, but maybe I've been doing it wrong. As others have mentioned, as long as you have something interesting to talk about or can just, you know, have a conversation with another human being, you should be fine.
In my experience, networking with women was always a little more interesting because they generally had interests outside of finance. Men, more frequently than women, tended to be the typical robot who idolizes the idea of becoming a banker and conversations with that type of person are never that fun. It seems like you're probably a little apprehensive / uncomfortable when networking with men, which leads to poor networking experiences. Try being a little more confident and worry less about the gender of the person you're having a simple conversation with.
In networking sessions/events, I have never talked about the locker room BS you are referring to. It just never came up. Maybe I am doing it wrong :( .. or maybe you don't realize that offices are not 'mad men' type anymore..
Yeah I have never had an issue talking to female candidates at networking events or over the phone. Yeah, sports might be the one thing that women are not as able to connect on, but the other than that everyone is pretty much on the same playing field. In some cases it's even an advantage to be female as others have mentioned.
It would be completely inappropriate to "got beers, got rowdy and talked about women" with college students who are networking.
Throw that perception about the entire lot of bankers being fratty, rowdy, wild, etc. away. I'd say that describes maybe 15% of them, with the other 85% being straight up dorks
No one will make a big deal about male-female networking unless you're really hot. Even then, the only difference is that whoever you talked to would be like "dude the chick I just had a coffee chat with was hot."
As a female banker is a very male dominated departement (the only woman in a room of about 20 guys) i have never ever thought that it makes any difference. If the only things you know about banking come from 80-s stereotypes you are set for dissapointment: despite sometimes acting as massive dicks (women included) most people have well-rounded backgroud, sharing many interest outisde sports & boob talk. Just try not to focus on the gender, focus on the person. No need to be sexist. My colleagues always suggest that as a woman networking&socialising with clients is actually easier for me than for them: they would all chose a chat with a young woman over another boring white middle age dude.
I feel like an overwhelming majority of the women in front office (especially IBD and S&T) at BBs have a certain look... you can kind of expect it before you see it, if anyone knows what I mean.
They either look like they're visiting for Junior High Career Day or are solid 5s (or butterfaces) that think playing dress up makes them hot?
is it just me or does anyone else feel that the beers, women, sports etc. conversations are just a very antiquated view of networking?
Why not force yourself to like at least one popular sport? I've heard of guys on here doing that. Just because you're a woman, doesn't make you exempt from sports talk.
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