Looking for advice related to a medical condition I have
Long time lurker here, my question is, are there any high finance jobs that would be accommodating to my medical condition? I have a vestibular disorder (vertigo) and basically have to do a specific maneuver on an elevated flat surface that helps me not feel nauseous/extra dizzy every four to 5 hours for a total of three times. So I would be done with my final maneuver at about 3 in the afternoon and be fine after that. Due to my condition I’d be quite limited working late into the night every day because unfortunately I would become susceptible to throwing up and not being able to work anymore since it worsens my dizziness every time I stay up late too often.
Best I can do is work till 10pm and like once or twice a week work until 12 or 2 in the morning. Having said that all of this, it seems like investment banking and consulting might not be an option to consider; so what would be a good alternative for someone in my situation? Right now I’m attending Western Governors University for Software Engineering if that helps provide some insight. Please do not be hesitant in being frank with me, all criticism is welcomed. Thank you.
Corporate finance (even corp dev if you want to do M&A) in F500 (esp those finance leadership programs) would be my best suggestion
Now whether that constitutes high finance is a question of perspective
Thank you for your suggestion, I’ll have to look into corporate finance some more. I don’t know if I’m thinking of something else, but working hours in that sector are more balanced correct ? Like you’d be out of the office by 5 or 6 pm or am I wrong in that assumption ?
On average 8-6, with WFH flexibility. There are usually cycles when it gets intense (eg annual budgeting).. at junior level vacations are respected
Just to add on what’s life like, one of my friends went to a European engg conglomerate that starts with a S … in their finance leadership program… on track to become a divisional cfo (think a BU with a few hundred $mil p/l), good leadership exposure (lot of staff reporting to him), and visibility to upper management. Gets bunted around the globe every 3 or 4 years but company pays his rent, car, may be for more things….insane WLB
On flip side he makes, on hand, less than a mid to top tier 2nd Analyst on a average year in BB IB
Not too bad, sounds interesting. I’ll definitely have to consider corporate finance and start looking for internships soon.
you could attempt to get ADA accommodations within IB. can you work early morning to make up for those hours you can't work in the night?
Yeah I could work from like 6:30 or 7:30 if that’s what you mean. That would require me to back home by like 10:20 because I need at least a little over 7 hours of sleep to be alright. Otherwise it wouldn’t work out, my condition is just that severe. If I had to make up for it starting at 5:30 in the morning I’d have be back home by like 6:30 or 7 pm, again so that I could have 7ish hours of sleep.
Accommodations wise I don’t know how it would be possible for me to do my maneuver, I assume that there isn’t a space where like a bed of sorts could be placed that I could do my maneuver on. If it were a warehouse job for example that problem would be solved since they have a medical room with a bed in it so yeah. Right now maneuvers are required for me to do until I get better. Once I’m “healed” then it’s a non issue; where I basically function like everyone else and become “normal” again. Got this condition due to having food poisoning constantly and bad sleep cycles.
Can chime in here with some honest advice though you may not like it:
It really is a life philosophy thing, sure you could accept that taking the job isn’t worth it and pursue a path that makes more sense, or you could power through and accept that even with the hand you were dealt you want the IB stamp enough that you are ok dealing with some mishaps for 2 years. Before I left, I talked to an MD about it and he said if anything he thought it made people view me higher because they “wanted the freak kid who would keep a boot can next to his desk as he modeled” besides, there are so many kids these days that cry mental health, I think having various conditions are possible with IB.
My big advice is to not tell a firm before you get a job and once you get on a deal, explain the situation to HR, your main manager, and deal team members. The real key is to be very predictable and chill about it. That said, it’s hard to be like, “I can’t stay up past 11, because it makes my tummy hurt” instead you just let people know that you might have an issue from time to time, but otherwise you know how to manage it.
I appreciate your honesty, my condition isn’t necessarily about if I stay up late “my tummy hurts” it’s more an inconvenience issue. Such as if I were to throw up my dizziness would be quite unbearable afterwards therefore rendering me useless as an employee since it would take 12 days to be back to “normal”. I wish it was just a nausea and stomach problem, be more easy to deal with. Investment banking probably is not in the cards for me. Overall thank you for your advice, I’ll probably have to just consider different job options and let banking go to be honest.
Plus I agree with you in a way, probably a lot of boy who cried wolf scenarios and situations that aren’t that serious and could be easily managed. Unfortunately though, certain things just cannot be a “push through it and ride it out” because things will just get worse instead of the body adapting like it should. Sorry for going off on a tangent. And hopefully I don’t come off upset or anything for that is not my intent.
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