A view from the recruiting trenches

A recent Duke graduate has penned a column that decries the "toxic culture" represented by Wall Street firms' recruiting efforts on college campuses.

"I was quickly seduced by a Wall Street recruiting machine that is reshaping the culture of higher education and diverting the career paths of our best and brightest. I navigated a salacious recruiting process. I watched ruthless and cunning peers excel, and the more good-hearted crumble. I saw that being popular, good-looking and able to drink hard seemed to matter more than being smart…."

She goes on to write  "And as I began my internship search in the midst of the financial crisis, while the industry and our economy crumbled around us, not a single banker I met acknowledged blame on Wall Street's part. In the end, I landed a coveted offer, then turned it down because I had grown disillusioned…."

This is a heartfelt, up-close, if not hugely original, take on the recruiting process. She is certainly entitled to her opinion. What you've got to like is that she's being entrepreneurial. She would very much like to write a book about all this and is apparently seeking representation from a literary agent. Her sample chapters might be worth a look. She does have a point of view.

For more:
- here's the essay
- here's the author website

Related articles:
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Harvard students protest Goldman Sachs