What stereotypes and traits have you noticed of Indians in IB in US?
I am an international student from India who will be joining a top group this summer as a summer analyst in IB. I have read about how there's some things international students should keep in mind when they interview, but for those who successfully landed a gig, is there anything we should keep in mind as well? I think I passed the airport test (spoke to 12-15 bankers over the interview process for my group, and made some of them laugh as well). Nevertheless, I would still like to keep things in mind that you think make international students (specifically, Indians) stand out negatively.
Also, before anyone tells me anything, I am still very Indian in my habits, and am not trying to whitewash myself, just want to make sure I don't come across as weird and thus, lose out on a return offer. Thanks for the help!
Plenty of Indians in finance that are killing it. Maybe the accent if it is hard to understand but if you speak well and are chill to be around then you should be fine. You do not have to whitewash yourself and act like a gora but just conform to the regular banter involving sports and other activities.
Makes sense, I think that's been one feedback that I have gotten. Will definitely slow down my speech a bit to make it easier to understand. Started following football in depth my freshman year being at a power-5 school, and thus can speak on that, too.
following
Do you shit in the street?
Looking at your shit count, that would be you.
BASED
What's up with these borderline racist comments on a forum for professionals? This isn't middle school buddy
I’m Indian by race not nationality and I don’t think it’s racist. Just making fun of us. Not everyone shits in the street but millions do.
Send bobs and vagene
its called a joke you pussy
No he shits on your mom's pussy.
Hey faggot guy.
Damn we’re still sayin’ that shit? Grow up pussy and be more creative with your insults, you sound like you’re twelve
Yo your mom cleaned her shit yet? Need help?
You’ll be fine. Just keep your head down, get your work done, and be friendly yet soft-spoken. If your accent is a hurdle (doesn’t sound like it is), speak slowly and over-enunciate. Same applies to non-Indians, tbh.
I’d say the most common negative (and interrelated) stereotypes are 1) obsessive / “hardo” traits, 2) back-stabbing / shit-talking, and 3) socially oddity. All can be mitigated, to the extent they even apply to you (the fact you’re worried tells me they don’t), by working hard, keeping your mouth shut, and focusing on your own work product.
I do not want to come across as racist, but everyone Indian banker I've worked for as been a HUGE hardo. Like, is always up, always responding, always working, never wants to chill, super critical comments to juniors, never wants to just phuck off and waste time. Granted I've worked for white dudes like this but I have yet to work with a "bro" indian banker, and I don't mean that like he plays lax and drinks claws, I mean that like his mentality towards work.
Just relax man. Please for the sake of the juniors and people you work with. No one will care if you don't know anything about the Dallas Cowboys or speak with an accent. Just learn to be a chill sometimes.
And don't wear pointy weird shoes/loafers.
dope people
Fuck any comment or anyone who says keeping your head down is the best way to "assimilate" as an Indian. Just be yourself and be someone people would want to hang out with - the same advice I'd give to any person regardless of race or background going into this industry. It's easy to think that as an Indian you have to make sure you're keeping a low profile or relegating yourself to nothing more than a quantitative genius but you can easily combine your professional traits with being a vivacious, outgoing team member. As an Indian guy who has grown up in the states my whole life, I know people will always have a slight if not large stereotype profile towards me but the best thing you can do is just break it and be yourself with no regard to how people think you ought to be as an Indian. To those who are from India, definitely learn English as no one wants to work with someone who can't speak English (at least in US/UK).
We don't have any Indians in our team (native American or from India), the few we have work for an IT supplier, I think.
The ones I met are nice people, but clearly not born/raised in the West. Their language does have an accent, but you can still understand them.
Culturally they seem to be in "their own world", that doesn't mean it is weird or anything. Asian cultures just do things differently.
I don't judge them when they get arranged marriages from India, or when they bring their food to the workplace (I am sure it tastes better than what we are sold in the cafe). Cultural diversity is interesting. they also seem to be fairly "docile" and not into the typical Western hobbies. Which isn't a big deal.
Not sure what "hardo" means, all the Indians I have met barely speak up. I didn't think of them as hardos, after some overtime they just go home.
Sounds like you're talking to an IT dept or something. A lot of FOBs from India tend to take tech/IT jobs wherever available.
The hardo stereotype comes from a lot of Indian-American dudes from the likes of NYU Stern (almost always Stern lol) or Cal who get way too into the "finance bro" lifestyle etc. A lot of that stems from a lot of negative feedback from parents at times growing up which develops into an inferiority complex. I was fortunate not to have parents who did this but I had plenty of friends who were subjected to derision / belittling based on academic or professional success. That can really fuck you up mentally
the only stereotype I have heard was that they are all "supposed to become doctors" or scientists. whenever I walk into a hospital to visit someone, I actually do see a lot of Indian looking staff. Not sure if that is only my area or everywhere?
What is FOBs, is that a tribe in India or a religious group? Or a language or social class?
maybe their parents care about their children's future, in contrast to some White parents who sometimes don't care at all.
Hey OP, what are things about interviews that you mentioned that an international student should keep in mind??
It was basically just speaking slowly so that I can be understood better. I inherently talk very fast and the accent doesn't help, but other than that I was told that everything else was perfect (this was from one of the interviews at a group that I will be joining soon).
Work hard play hard
Common stereotypes of Indians are that they tend to breathe oxygen, eat food, walk with their legs, and type with their hands. Weird, I know.
As an international from India who broke into IB, one piece of advice I have is to follow an American sport. It makes it easier to connect with people. Nobody gives a flying fuck about cricket in this country.
would like to know more about this. I am White and know zero about sports. Others never talk about sports in our office. Is this a regional thing? specific teams?
Agreed. OP here and I know more about American football now than most Americans I would say, and that's definitely helped break the ice and hold conversations about non-finance things.
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