Should I be taking a second look at the disability disclosure?
I've been struggling with some mental issues over the past few years and recently I've become convinced that my problems were a lot more serious than I thought and I need help to overcome them so I've finally started exploring some therapy options.
Right now I'm recruiting for SA 2021 and of all the dozens and dozens of applications I've filled out over the past few months, I've always said "no" when it asked if I had a disability (mostly because I didn't want to admit I had a serious problem). Should I be saying yes? Or should I wait until a therapist diagnoses me?
I was thinking it might take some time before I find a therapist I'm comfortable with and this might be something an employer would want to know now and it would help with recruiting.
Without going into details, my issues involve past traumas, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and an eating disorder. No accommodations are needed I don't think but should I disclose this information to HR?
Any help/advice is appreciated.
bump
Unfortunately, while these are all real issues, I do not think these are covered in the list of disabilities as defined by that clause. I have a physical medical condition that I was born with, and so have always paid more-than-average attention to this section of job apps/HR paperwork when going through processes, and I think they always explicitly list the disabilities that are under consideration. My specific condition is never on that list, so I always report "no". While most Wall Street firms are posting on LinkedIn about how they are really trying to consider mental health and awareness, the unfortunate reality is that a lot of that stuff is PR.
Were I you, I would keep those anxiety-related issues to myself if you think Wall St is where you want to be. I do not think the Street is anywhere close to Silicon Valley-esque levels of respect regarding mental health, and disclosing that you have mental health issues that may impact your ability to perform will unfortunately mean that your manager might expect you to underperform and review you negatively or just ding you altogether in the recruitment process.
The industry is too competitive, and there are too many kids willing to gleefully subject themselves to 80 hour work weeks for most MD's to want to work with you regarding your mental health. I might seriously ask myself if Wall St is right for you, there is no shame in concluding that it is not and it does not make you lesser. Seriously. I have seen some people get seriously fucked up mentally during their analyst stint because they thought they could suck it up and ignore the gut feeling.
Alternatively, you can still go for it and just privately seek help and work on treating your illnesses. Anxiety is something that can be managed, and mental illness can be treated with medicines and exercises just like physical illness can. Thankfully, more cultural awareness around these issues have de-stigmatized them to an extent, so again, please go get the help you need and don't let yourself fall for the lies and shame that the hardo's might push on you. No one enjoys feeling anxious.
As someone who faces similar issues - I generally agree with this comment. Tbh my dream IB internship ended up being a shitshow in terms of mental health. It hit all my triggers when I had no support system or coping skills and was altogether a disaster. I also don't trust that checking yes on that box won't end up penalizing you somehow, even if it's technically illegal. I think some areas of finance are much better than others with regard to this.
Highly recommend starting the therapist search as soon as possible. I would encourage you to look at trauma-specialized therapists, since if your other issues stem from that, normal talk therapy/meds might not be very helpful.
Thanks for your advice. I've thought about it and I pretty much concluded IB is not for me a while ago. I go to a target school and have a good gpa so I thought it could be a good career path but after hearing about the workloads you have to put on there's no chance. Exercise and time with family and friends is pretty instrumental in dealing with my problems and I've heard you can pretty much forget about that as an analyst. That's why I'm not recruiting for banking necessarily anymore but I still hope I can find something in financial services because finance is really a passion of mine. I was just wondering about this going forward in my career.
I'll probably take your advice and keep it low-key. Can't hurt my chances if I never mention it.
Look into AM or Commercial banking at a BB. Decent comp in both, you'll still work 10-12 hour days, but you won't have to bring your work home with you and you will have 99% of your weekends.
Don't ever say yes unless you're working through some special diversity program.
Qui enim dignissimos est totam optio. Illo sed blanditiis adipisci. Minus illo molestiae nesciunt nam. Eum aut hic alias eos quasi tenetur est. Aspernatur blanditiis at animi voluptatem voluptatum. Natus eligendi et qui ut similique ipsum. Harum veritatis quo non dolor aut.
Possimus dolor et quisquam voluptas dignissimos. Sint eos voluptatem eum similique et. Et quos quia voluptatum molestiae. Minima dignissimos magni modi sunt. Deserunt cum molestiae praesentium eveniet iste.
Voluptatibus assumenda nesciunt ullam magnam assumenda incidunt velit. Beatae tenetur odit quam. Nemo cupiditate et itaque nemo. Excepturi incidunt impedit debitis nam soluta laborum.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...