AI may be able to mimic the cadence and vocabulary of CEO-speak, but it can't possess in-group signifiers like fraternity rings, golf club memberships or be able to trade favors like getting invites to the right kind of parties. All of these are required as part of an elaborate dance to placate a merry band of institutional investors, earnings analysts and politicians.
I'm just a regular intelligence, and sadly it appears I can't possess those things either; I've tried to break into the finance world [1], and I've learned that despite fifteen years of software experience, it doesn't matter if I didn't go to an Ivy League school.
I wonder if there is a service that just serves as a "degree cleanse" where I can technically say I have a degree from Columbia or something without having to spend $200,000 going through another degree program.
[1] Admittedly for money, but also it's one of the few areas where I might realistically be allowed to do math.
There are three ways into the finance world; straight out of undergrad from a 'target' school with at least one summer intership at target bank, MBA from a target school, or Math PhD from a well-regarded school.
Is there a fourth way of doing it by befriending a random person who already works there and can get shoehorned in? Probably not, I'm sure they care about the pedigree more than basically anything else.
I send an application to RenTec every six months, almost as a joke because I would be extremely surprised if they continue after seeing <NOT A TOP 20 SCHOOL> on my resume. Granted, I don't think you really "apply" to RenTec to begin with, I think realistically they actually find you.
Yes, if you know someone and they can vouch for you and provide an introduction, that's a possibility, but you will need to have some prior experience that's relevant to the role.
The other way would be to be working at a management or strategy/IT consultancy that is working with the financial institution. That way you can build your own relationships, understand their business and get head-hunted into an internal role when one comes up.
Yeah, I figured that contracting is probably the only way I'll break in. I haven't ruled it out, though I really hate working for consultancies like that.
Maybe I should just get my mom to write them a note explaining how clever and handsome I am, because I don't know that that comes through clearly in the resume. If I attached that as a cover letter, it might at least be memorable :)
There is no Ivy League ceiling in finance (as an industry). I know plenty of people who make (or made) good money in finance with public school degrees. (The ex-finance blokes are all retired now.)
Of course, if you limit your search to the "prestigious" firms, then yes, there is an Ivy league filter. But why would you want to work at a firm that is all style and no substance?
I have have noticed this, there seems to be an 'Ivy League ceiling' which exists and presents others from breaking into certain roles, even if they have the experience and skills for them.
I had a recruiter on LinkedIn reach out recently who sent me a PDF of a job that they thought I might be interested in. I read through it, and the job seemed fine, but on the very bottom it said "people who went to a mediocre school need not apply".
I could kind of understand this if it was a junior position since the incoming person might not have any real experience, but this was for a staff level and required at least ten years of experience.
I responded back to the recruiter with something like "I didn't go to a fancy school, and I don't want to work with these assholes if they think that that's more important then fifteen years of experience. I'm not sure why you sent this to me, you can see my education history clearly on my LinkedIn profile".
all about keeping out the riffraff. Just being Ivy League isn't enough by the way, you very well may need to be in the right social clubs ("fraternities" by any other name), have had the right internships and participate in the right college sports to accumulate the necessary social proof of being a 'culture fit'.
