SH scars and recruiting

I have some faded self-harm scars on my arms and legs from when I was younger. I have not self-harmed in years. I am a girl (not sure if that changes anything).

I plan to cover them with clothing for interviews and work. But I'm worried about what would happen if they were seen, like at a casual event or in the office.

Would this be a problem for getting a summer analyst role or for converting it to a full time offer? Or would people not care? Just want a straight answer on if this is a legitimate concern or if I'm overthinking it.

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If you've had problems with not being able to not cut yourself, then maybe IB isn't the industry for you, just a thought.

 
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very ignorants and prideful comment. we have no idea what level of stress caused that reaction or the age it occurred. I’m sure it’s hard to imagine for sheltered finance NPCs, but there are things more stressful than being sleep deprived and working a boring job because you love money - especially for children.

it’s entirely possible that OP doesn’t have any more of a predisposition towards mental illness than the average IB robot, but due to being in whatever environment or experiencing whatever events, became severely depressed and harmed herself. people can escape environments and the reactions they cause.

 

A couple of thoughts:

  • Given your predisposition to depression/anxiety/other, is IB the right career for you? I've struggled with these issues for my entire life and was fine for analyst - VP, they became a bigger issue when I founded a company. I've never self-harmed but was definitely drinking too much at one point, which I've stopped. Only you can answer this. Are you sure the mental challenge of constant exhaustion won't take you to a bad place? Just be aware of it because so called "self-care" isn't really an option.
  • No one will care, even if someone notices. Cover it up to the best you can, and worry about it if someone asks, which I doubt anyone ever will. Then you can take two paths and say 1) I was in a brutal accident and have scarring over a lot of my body, or 2) the better option - say that you simply went through a hard period of life years ago and made some bad decisions. There's no need to elaborate further, and, if someone questions it, say that you're not interested in talking about it.

If you think you are ok on point #1, I don't think you have any issues on #2.

 

anonanonymous

Loads of jobs, sports, outdorr activities can involve not rare accidents.

U also have every right to tell the person asking its none of their business, and it is a little forward to ask about physical appearance in this political climate

Between growing up on a farm and a former mountain biking career, my hands, forearms, elbows, shins and knees (one ankle from surgeries) are scarred up and down. People do ask about my scars at times, but they are much worse than what the OP probably has. I raced UCI downhill back in the day with no pads, LOL. Now I wear complete body armor. Might as well be a football player on a mountain bike. 

 

Just cover it up. Ppl will tell you they are understanding and that they feel bad to your face but most will think you are a freak. No reason to let anyone see or know. Should be fine otherwise.

 

i also used to sh some years ago, and have really big scars on my arm. rn im currently in an ib internship. Im a guy, so my dress code automatically covers my scars, therefore i dont think any1 has ever seen it, but imo, as long as you perform well and deliver ur deliverables, no one is gonna assume/judge anything, everyone has made bad decisions... what i will say tho is that that are some weeks in which the stress makes me really wanna sh, let it be cig burns or cuts, and sometimes i actually do (was clean since 2023, but fucked up sometime ago), but thats cuz im just no strong enough yet to control my urges.
keep it together and gl for recruiting!!!

 

Highly unlikely it’s visible. People have arm sleeves and various tattoos, but no one has a clue since it’s covered by your attire and can always be covered by your attire. May pop out at an off-site, volunteer event with company t-shirts, but that’s a very unique circumstance and you can figure something out.

Echoing the above, IB is a stressful job so word of caution if you have any kind of predisposition.

 

In finance, people care about your work, not what your old scars look like. Plenty of professionals have scars, tattoos, medical marks, whatever. As long as you’re professional and do your job well, this won’t affect your offer or conversion.

If someone ever notices, the overwhelming majority won’t say anything. HR and managers are trained to avoid making comments about appearance or medical history. It’s not judged, and it’s not held against you.

You’re not doing anything wrong by covering them, but you also don’t need to be scared if they’re ever visible. You’re overthinking it — you’ll be fine.

 

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