Wall Street Jobs with least emphasis on articulate ability and social skill?
Hi. I am still in highschool and considering whether to try for the most coveted Wall Street positions. Since I will be put back $300k at ivies/t20 schools, while I can get full-rides at other universities, I am wondering if I even have the capability to get one of these jobs.
I used to have a speech problem and was and still am a little introverted. I have trouble articulating sentences on the spot (Does this get better with a ton of practice? Or is it mostly you have the skill or not?). Basically, none of these things are good for any jobs, but nowadays, you have to not only be the best academically but also with soft skills (people without finance majors get these jobs now).
Anyways, I was wondering what career paths I could consider where speaking does not have the most importance? I was thinking a junior trader or HF analyst could have much less speaking to do than IB and PE analysts. Is there anywhere in consulting, Trading and Sales, or Asset Management, etc. Equity Research seems like a good fit, but I guess that's judging from the name. What skills and education do you need for ER? Thanks.
redacted
Join a toastmaster chapter in your city, its gonna be nerve wrecking but honestly more people should do programs like toastmasters. I do it because I love public speaking anyways, but its especially helpful for those who hate it. You could also try debate team.
Please don't spend 300k on an undergraduate degree. Go for free, you can always go back for grad school if you think that's something that may be of interest to you.
good call
A few questions if I may ask. will you have to take out student loans for the 300k or do you legitimately have the money on you? With your speech problem, is it a health problem or just being nervous in front of many people.
Being honest, good public skills is a skill that is acquired and learned, you don't become a good speaker just because it is some random natural born skill. You need to be social, confident, and presentable in front of a large amount of people. An example was me, I never spoke to people and I was introverted. I went to college/university and started expanding my social skills with people. The social and speaking skill will take time to acquire and perfect. I think you will do perfectly fine no matter where you end up. You're still young and you have your whole life in front of you.
*
As someone who went to a non-target and has done multiple Front Office finance roles:
There are trade-offs with the Ivies/Top 20 schools compared to other universities. You are in a much better position than I was coming out of high school. I would recommend not overburdening yourself with student debt if you can. While it may be somewhat more challenging breaking into Front Office roles from a mid-target or non-target, there are plenty of examples you can find for people who have done it.
It really comes down to individual at the end of the day. On that point, I would recommend you take some time for introspection for what you really are looking for in a career and life as you enter College. I had no idea I would end up in different finance internships and roles as I went into school as a Political Science Major and ended up switching my major a few times. In these next four (or more) years of college, it will shape your life in a way you cannot really anticipate. Ideally, you find a career that blends perfectly with your passion, but few people can ever attain in life. Wall Street roles have a certain glamour to them from the outside looking in, but I always try to stress an more holistic picture of such roles. For a more through overview, look at the Resources tab on WSO plus forums where people have posted industry and job overviews plus industry and job overviews on Mergers & Inquisitions.
As someone who also had trouble with speaking in front of crowds (I even went to a few toastmaster meetings and took a public speaking class), I would recommend join student clubs in leadership roles or putting yourself in positions outside your comfort zone. This will help build confidence in yourself and presentation skills.
The world is in front of you, it now comes down to how much effort and guile you can display towards your goals in life.
Here's a chart from my target school's career center website. Hope it helps.
Of course there are more jobs than just these five, but these are the main ones when you think about "Wall Street" (with Investment Banking usually being seen as the most prestigious). Would advise doing more research on WSO and Mergers & Inquisitions. Kudos to you, it's never too early to start thinking about this stuff.
Error non nihil provident aut voluptatem. Est quisquam in asperiores perferendis. Hic ut omnis inventore. Sed laborum aut aliquid qui provident.
Dolor cupiditate qui eos debitis. Consectetur aperiam laborum fugit. Aut placeat distinctio nihil quasi at dicta ut.
Dolor ipsa inventore commodi quibusdam id neque. Consequatur corporis debitis consequatur qui et. Eligendi quia aliquid sed eius corporis aut laboriosam odio.
Quo placeat autem et. Recusandae labore non animi. Dolores harum animi aliquam itaque aut. Eos aut pariatur nostrum.
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...