The culture of recruitment of Wall Street is one of convincing students that they are the best or as phrased in the chapter, the "cream of the crop." It is surrounded in not only how smart one is, but also how smart one can appear. Those who advertise this type of career sell it as a life of prestige. It is followed up by allowing these students to get a taste of what the life of a market player could look like, such as paying for expensive trips, dinners, and hotels. How it fits in with Ivy League college culture is that schools such as Harvard and Princeton are also seen as the cream of the crop. These colleges reinforce the "culture of smartness" that appeals to those who wish to be highly successful. There are constant recruiters visiting campus and more representatives of Wall Street firms and companies show up to career forums than any other career type. Even those who choose a different major to study find themselves considering or even getting a career in Wall Street. All of this is followed up by a perception that is enforced by those in this elite status that if one does not go into Wall Street after graduation, they are "less smart" than their counterparts. This is a clear separation of status based off of not only perceived intelligence, but being able to enforce this through acquiring wealth, which is not only measured by the amount of money one earns, but the connections made with other highly-ranked individuals that validate this perception.
The culture of recruitment of Wall Street is one of convincing students that they are the best or as phrased in the chapter, the "cream of the crop." It is surrounded in not only how smart one is, but also how smart one can appear. Those who advertise this type of career sell it as a life of prestige. It is followed up by allowing these students to get a taste of what the life of a market player could look like, such as paying for expensive trips, dinners, and hotels. How it fits in with Ivy League college culture is that schools such as Harvard and Princeton are also seen as the cream of the crop. These colleges reinforce the "culture of smartness" that appeals to those who wish to be highly successful. There are constant recruiters visiting campus and more representatives of Wall Street firms and companies show up to career forums than any other career type. Even those who choose a different major to study find themselves considering or even getting a career in Wall Street. All of this is followed up by a perception that is enforced by those in this elite status that if one does not go into Wall Street after graduation, they are "less smart" than their counterparts. This is a clear separation of status based off of not only perceived intelligence, but being able to enforce this through acquiring wealth, which is not only measured by the amount of money one earns, but the connections made with other highly-ranked individuals that validate this perception.
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