Why do all German iBankers look the same?
Something I have noticed after working in the industry and it´s unnerving me really: All the IB (and of the consulting) guys here in Krautland seem to look the same, have exactly the same CV and seem to do all the same. Why is that?
Like:
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99% upper class and the single one German-Turk who fought his way up
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side part; if glasses, half-rimmed
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too tight blue suit, ugly shoes
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exclusively went to Frankfurt School, WHU or Mannheim
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immeasurably closed-minded, has never even thought of interesting work outside IB
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greatest wish in life is to "do deals" or pivot to a PE company
Look, I know that this is a cliché at Wall Street, but there are other guys, too, other styles, creativity, etc. Here, not so much.
Why? Do we really aspire to have our entire industry represented by those blond, blue-suited Davids from WHU or what?
Krautbros, we gotta change that. Time to introduce the mohawk to banking! Free the flanell shirt! Up with Münster, down with Mannheim! Viva la revolución!
Same reason everyone in Germany has a very distinct look. An event you may recall from the 1940s...
What did you actually expected? Germans as a people are not a synonym for uniqueness, humor and enjoying in life.
In one sentence - Stiff, humorless, distant, cold-blooded executors of given tasks, But extremely successful in that. They are pre-programmed human beings without any spontaneity. Germans are perfect to work with them and to learn from them, you will work very hard but you will be properly awarded. Every other social interaction with them is very hard, sometimes completely impossible.
In the last 3 months of my life in London I met more interesting people and experienced more beautiful moments in my life than in 3 years of living in Germany.
Like I said, perfect executors. In prosperous times and relevant for investment banking you will get great leaders, true dominant rainmakers who with impress you with their constant desire for perfectionism.
On the other hand, in bad times, they were the creators of some of the worst atrocities in the history of human civilization.