I started my career in rates sales and trading at a tier three bank, was promoted to associate into another division which I quickly realized was not a good fit for me. I subsequently moved to a much smaller shop (satellite office of an international bank) and got let go six months ago after the bank started winding down the business. I'm looking to get back to work but I have the following demons to reckon with:
(1) Trying to move to a larger bank with a small bank name on my resume has been a challenge for two reasons. The first is the lack of comparable experience. Since my previous company was a boutique bank, the types of deals I had an opportunity to work on have been in just a small, niche segment of the market. However, when I interview for roles in the same area, the expectation is that I will have experience dealing with a wider client base with much more variety in transactions and strategy. The second issue is that many of the senior colleagues I worked with don't have the network to make introductions that will lead to job prospects even if they really liked working with me/appreciated the work I did for them.
(2) As a woman, I've found it extremely difficult to find mentors. I have been the only woman in each of my groups and in my most recent role I was the only woman in all of front-office/sales and trading in the US branch. I've realized with many of the younger guys (early 30s and younger), its not a problem and they treat me just like anyone else. However, with the older gentlemen that account for much of the company's leadership, I have constantly dealt with off color remarks like "I don't understand the whole professional woman thing" and "Can't you just find a guy who will take care of you/tell you that you don't have to work?" These men seem to have the preconceived notion that women WANT to stay home and not work outside the house. I chose not to escalate these issues to HR or a lawyer because HR at my old company was completely useless and suing a company or manager this early in my career will make it extremely difficult to find a new job given how small a world Wall St is.
