All of my finance experience has been on the retail/individual side. We're talking small teams of 3 advisors that oversee 50M in AUM. I've never worked on wall street and have some questions about interactions with coworkers/clients/execs.
1. If I went into sales and trading, would I be expected to let loose?
2. If I went into ER and went on road shows with execs from covered companies, would I be expected to let loose with them?
I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I don't use prostitutes. Serious question: is this going to be a problem?
Yes, its models and bottles on Wall Street or bust.
The thing that is the problem is not the substances you use and abuse but whether you socialise with your team when they go out. Don't be "that guy" who doesn't drink nor go out and is only seen around the office. If you want to be fully sober all the time, you best learn to let loose without the use of substance. But don't be "that guy".
it doesnt matter what you do or use....you better be at your desk on time the next morning.
Do a good job at work and be a likeable person - that is most important. If you make your boss look good around the office and constantly deliver strong results, you're going to do well. Since there is an aspect of office politics though, even if you don't drink let's say, you should still go out to the bars with your team (exception: recovering alcoholic) and just be sociable.
Also, ask yourself whether or not you want to be part of a culture where you need to get involved with substance abuse in order to succeed or fit in? On a personal note, I don't care what the firm or exit opps were, I wouldn't want to work at a place where I was expected to do drugs. I think candidates often worry too much about what the company is looking for when evaluating individuals, and not what they want to get out of work and their own personal day to day experience.
I think its common for very large corporations to encourage illegal activities, this often begins as early as employee orientation.
I have seen material that reads like this.
Welcome to your new job at Morgan Stanley, we would love to tell you about your new job but first here are a few lines. DO THEM!
or
Welcome to Goldman Sachs, the job all you kids dream about... Before you meet with Mr. Blankfein he requests you double team this prostitute with Mr. James Dimon.
On my last day of an internship my manager came to me and another kid who was interning and laid out an 8 ball of coke on the desk and cut it into 2 lines. He said the first one to finish their line leaving absolutely no residue on the desk gets the full time offer. I just celebrated my 3rd year anniversary at the firm!!
Kudos to both a good post and an awesome username.
The most important thing is drinking. If you don't drink, that makes things a little weird. More so for bonding with your co-workers than anything else. Regarding substances and all that jazz, I'm sure most of your co-workers have done or continue to do them, but by no means would it be a deal breaker if you said no.
Well let's turn the question around: What percentage of your coworkers have you seen/heard of actually using drugs since joining the firm?
I know that movie The Wolf of Wall Street was a unique situation, but don't tell me that there aren't some characters on Wall Street who are similar to the protagonist.
my desk looks like the desk in the final scene of Scarface.
no it doesnt. that was a stupid joke
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