The Myth of the Man in Finance

As with many industries, working professionals in the financial sector may fall victim to clichés or stereotypes. Some that come to mind include always wearing expensive clothes, attending prestigious schools for university education, going on fancy business trips, or constantly checking the status of the stock market on their personal gadgets. Ah, but are some of these true?

Over the summer of this year, a particular musical hit has become very trendy on social media, and it directly concerns such ideas about people who work in finance. This one very recent and popular encapsulation of some stereotypes comes from humorous satirical lyrics sung by user @girl_on_couch on TikTok as follows:

"I’m looking for a man in finance: trust fund, 6'5", blue eyes." - Megan Boni

Here we see that the titular "man in finance"—assumed to be a cisgender male, given that the whole song is in the context of looking for a romantic partner—has access to assets and property, stands quite tall at six-foot-five-inches in height, and is blue-eyed. As a satire, this is meant to be an unrealistic general description, which it absolutely is. Though some may know it is not supposed to reflect reality, it may still inform or reinforce the image of a financial services professional in our minds.

I don't know about you, but in my career so far, the one person I have met who comes closest to this description is "only" 6'3" and has blue-grey eyes. So even then, this would not be a 100% match. Nonetheless, it is a fact that economics and business graduates, who form the bulk of those working in finance, have historically been predominantly male. But that is slowly changing: the reality of the industry is that there is far more diversity at play: there are also women in finance, for example, and it does not stop there.

Financial services nowadays are more than just observing market trends and stocks, or staying at nice hotels while traveling for work and catering to demanding clients. The wide range of professional services related to finance and money includes banks, investment and insurance firms, and even real estate companies, too. As a huge industry, it has a lot to offer.

Finance extends to business services such as providing consultancy, assurance, and even engaging in the sustainability field: green bonds, impact investing, and climate finance all relate to the financial sector. Yet sustainable finance professionals are usually an entirely different demographic of people, and may typically be quite different from classical finance professionals! They may even be graduates of science degrees rather than management ones.

Diversity of the financial sector is ultimately a good thing for prosperity: because the industry as a whole deals with business, management, and economics—sometimes known as the science of money—there is usually a perception that people in the industry earn more on average than others. That said, because of how wide the industry has become, there is a lot of opportunity for people of different backgrounds, and all around the world, to find work in the field and make a living out of it.

It likewise goes without saying that because of this diversity, the social pool of people looking for romance does not have to be limited to merely a "man in finance", either. So aside from bringing in fresh new perspectives related to culture, market trends, strategy, and so on, the open and constantly expanding market in the world of finance offers more opportunities to meet people for a wider circle of friends… or even a potential life partner. The interconnectedness of the global economy also means that this sector even has international, and thus multicultural, elements.

One has to wonder how the collective image of the "professional in finance" will evolve in the future, but for that to happen, there also needs to be an openness from both the private sector—in the context of hiring the best talent regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic situation, and so on—and also from individual people and prospective employees who would understand that the world of finance is, in reality, as bright and colorful as humanity itself.

Thus, building an attitude that is aware of the perceived image of what financial services professionals are, and knowing how to disassociate that with preconceived notions and traditional ideas, will ultimately lead to a healthier global economy. Exciting opportunities and adventures await those with an open mind, and if you are still looking for a person in finance, you may be surprised that you—yes, you!—could fit right in and find a place to build a career.

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By Popular Demand is the author’s personal column on LinkedIn. It combines topics in the fields of economics and business with witty wordplay and lighthearted references to popular culture. The views or opinions reflected in these articles are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of his current or former employers, nor any affiliated member firms.