Would being extremely ugly hinder you from getting into high finance/ IB? Like being so ugly to the point where your face makes people uncomfortable. And being very short too. But assume u have good experience and technicals, and are well groomed, just ugly
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It's already been proven that being attractive is correlated to success in your career. There are numerous studies on this
In that case, why not point to these proven studies and say ugly people have been traditionally underrepresented in elite industries, then include them into diversity quotas? Or pull up that study that shows most CEOs are 6 feet tall then include short people into diversity. Etc etc. Whats stopping banks from doing this?
lol one of the better questions I've seen on here. My guess is that it's tough to tell people they're going to be included in diversity programs because they're ugly since no one is going to want to hear that. You'd have to sneak them in through regular recruiting.
That would follow liberal logic precisely.
It is difficult to quantify ugliness. What I mean is that what method of measurement could be standardized across all applicants to measure ugliness? Further, if you could standardize it, how would you easily measure this?
Ugly people should be included in diversity quotas
U joke but wait until it actually becomes reality, its not too far-fetched to include ugliness as diversity
Being obese will be the next thing added to "diversity" hiring. Need to make sure we are being inclusive of the gravity challenged.
Diversity is such a BS metric from a corporate lens because the companies only care about tangible diversity reporting. Find me one IBD that has idk >5% of their company with chronic illnesses, or with physical / mental disabilities. Health isnt a meaningful diversity metric because it doesn't appease liberals and cant be photographed (never seen a company photo with a guy cranking out a DCF while going through dialysis). This rationale is the same reason ugly people (admittedly less ground to stand on from a "diversity" perspective) will never be considered.
That's pretty unfair for chad conservatives considering how ugly most liberal geeds are
:(
I strongly believe that any person (even with actual facial deformities) can increase their status looks wise by a few points by living correctly and taking care of themselves. Unless you were born with a severe deformation, if you are ugly to the point where it “makes people uncomfortable” you’re probably doing something wrong. Remember, looks are an indirect evolutionary screen for health. Do you lift weights >3x/wk? Do you eat healthy unprocessed foods rich in protein and nutrients? Do you drink a gallon of water a day? Have you tried different hairstyles that can suit your face? Are you not overweight? If you can’t say yes to any of these, it’s time to start improving yourself.
I’m guessing you don’t have kids.
If you have kids looks should be the least of your concerns
I don’t understand this reasoning.I understand it for people with lower paying jobs, that cannot afford childcare, that is very difficult. But most people in finance can afford some help (and facilities, etc) to make time for their health
I have kids, I’m in my late 30’s, and work a time consuming job. But I also watch after my health, I workout 6-7 days a week (90 mins or so), I tend to eat healthy, etc. It takes time and some sacrifice (I wake up at 5 AM, my wife and I both work so we switch off making time for ourselves, etc)
There are some huge advantages that make this possible, primarily childcare, but these are things many people in the finance industry can afford (luckily).
It comes down to prioritizing some time for yourself and it isn’t always easy.
You wouldn't get accepted by Linkedin contacts to network to begin with, let alone breaking into finance.
Go spend 1-2 years worth of college tuition on overhauling your face.
Consider that plastic surgery an investment.
Regarding height, well if you're still taller than female colleagues/clients, then fine. If not, heels or leg extension surgery.
Don't listen to these crazy bankers. Dude as long as your in shape and your confident, you'll be just fine. I'm in REPE (front office client facing job) and work with some butt ugly (and overweight) people and they've all made it VERY far in their career. Personality over everything (and this is coming from someone who is pretty decent looking).
Ultimate move: Break into IB as a diversity hire for being ugly, then sue the firm for discriminating against you on the basis of your physical characteristics.
Being attractive does affect the path to success unfortunately, as others have rightfully pointed out. However, I think this quote is really appropriate here: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
One of my fave, most down to earth MDs used to work for Bruce Wasserstein. He talks about what a brilliant banker Bruce was but also ugly af. Easier said than done, but carry yourself with confidence. Make it a non-factor with your demeanor and ability.
Attractiveness is a bell curve, most people are average, no one who’s truly attractive is going to waste their 20s in an office crunching Excel lol.
I think the studies people here are referring to are misleading anyways — it’s more so a chicken vs egg situation, better looking people are treated better and have higher confidence which translates well in a client facing field. That being said, I don’t see any super models around the office.
As long as you look physically very fit, you get by with a 4 or 5 face
Probably a leg up TBH. I would trust an ugly banker a lot more. People who are too smooth (whether its looks or being well spoken or whatever) are harder to trust.
This sounds like some sort of bait
100%
Does being ugly help you in your career--> probably not. Banking is like any other industry, we like to look at better looking things (effectively, we always judge a book by its cover). Its why newscasters are all good looking, why when you walk into the grocery store you look for the better looking apples, and buy a pair of shoes based on the way they look.
That said, ugly, I had to say it, is sometimes a product of not knowing how to dress. As you progress in your career, not only should you get more knowledge, but you should also somewhat accumulate knowledge on how to look/dress better, that helps you be less "ugly". Think of an actor like Will Poulter (the kid from we're the millers), early on he wasn't the best looking kid, grew a little, got some muscles, now he's more attractive.
It's like if you own a bakery, you can make great bread, but if your display looks like crap, you're not going to sell much bread.
...asking for a friend, eh?
ofc bro
I’m ugly, and have been told so to my face, but seem to be doing fine career-wise. If you are really good at your job and come off as a decent person, people will automatically respect you.
Also, it’s pretty easy to go from like a 1/10 to 3/10 if you workout, dress well, groom, and act confident. I’m not saying it’s exactly easy, but you should be able to go from “makes ppl vomit on sight” to “23 year old kissless virgin” doing the things I listed above.
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