Genre and Sub Genre — Verbal Folklore: beliefs and relayed experiences

Language: English

Country where Item is from: United States

Informant Data: Nan Hu ’18 is a senior here at Dartmouth. He is a computer science and mathematics double major. Nan is from Seattle, Washington, where his parents work in the technology sector. Nan interned twice, once sophomore summer as a software engineer at a company called Pegasystems in Cambridge, MA, and another time junior summer as a software engineer at Microsoft. He is a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. After graduation, Nan will return to Microsoft as a software engineer.

Social Context: Given the unique nature of tech  jobs and the nature of tasks one will be asked to take on, prospective graduates must have a high level of conviction that a career in Tech is truly something they want to pursue. In light of that, senior undergraduate students will often question those younger than them who ostensibly want to go into Tech why exactly it is they think they might be interested in Technology. As such, the folklore in question is not only circulated among Engineering and Computer Science majors more generally, but among those who are more junior and those who are more senior in their undergraduate careers. This verbal folklore is shared amongst both males and females who aspire to careers in Technology.

Cultural Context: In a country where employment opportunities abound, it is often hard for people to decide what it is they want to do professionally. And given the myriad of choices one often has, it becomes imperative to do one’s due diligence about different fields of work so one can make an informed decision about what one’s best career path may be. In the same vein, it is also important for one to pursue something they’re passionate about. This is something particularly emphasized in American culture and impressed upon graduating college students. And so, in order to understand this particular aspect of corporate recruiting, we collected folklore surrounding the experiences and beliefs people had with respect to pursuing particular fields of work, and in this particular case, Technology. To this end, Nan Hu was interviewed by Trent Shillingford one-on-one in a quiet area in the library. We interviewed other individuals as well, but for the sake of brevity, have simply included incorporated their insights here.

Item: Nan Hu noted that he was drawn to technology because of the problem solving opportunities it posed. He also noted that he was drawn to technology because of the prospect of working on interesting problems and honing his problem-solving skills. He also cited the opportunity to build things in a collaborative environment as being very compelling. What was particularly salient was Nan Hu’s general love of technology and his interest in working on interesting, challenging, and ultimately consequential problems.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Relevant Portion: 1:31 — 2:29

Transcript of Associated File:

• Trent Shillingford: What was your motivation for pursuing Software Engineering?

• Nan Hu: Uh.. for me… stems mostly from my interest in Computer Science. Mostly .. for me. .. I think it’s very powerful to be able to… given a set of tools… be able to solve a huge variety of problems… I think that’s pretty powerful.. And also .. you know I think I enjoy working with technology obviously… and also I think the idea of you know.. doing problem solving.. I think it’s pretty cool being able to go into work .. and also .. you know..  work on some pretty cool problems and enhance your problem solving skills..And also work in a culture that is very collaborative and more casual.. And so basically I think… it’s a combination of what I like to do .. and the environment

Collector’s Comments:

• Nan Hu was very  convicted in his love of technology and had no doubt as to where he wanted to go in his professional life.

Collector’s Name:

• Trent Shillingford

General Comments:

• Those interested in tech cited  almost the same motivations. There were no variances in account. The opportunity to work on interesting problems, have a great degree of autonomy, and to ultimately have an impact were things people cited as motivating their interest in technology.

Tags/Keywords:

• Verbal Folklore, Beliefs, Traditions, Tech motivations

Genre and Sub Genre — Customary Folklore: Interview Practices, Behavior

Language: English

Country where Item is from: United States

Informant Data: Caroline Hsu is a senior at Dartmouth College studying Economics. Caroline is from Middletown, New Jersey, where her father is an engineer and her mother is a nurse. Similar to many other seniors going into finance, she has done multiple corporate recruiting rounds and received internships in Investment Banking. After graduation, Caroline will most likely go into consulting. On campus, Caroline works as a Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network Associate, an Undergraduate Advisor, and a sister in Kappa Delta.

Social Context: Given the stakes involved in Finance interviews, aspiring Finance professionals are often antsy about how it is they ought to behave in an interview. And so much like the case in the other folklore collected here, more junior undergraduates will reach out to those who have done Finance interviews in order to get a better sense of how they ought to behave. And so the customary folklore in question here is shared among males and females, those generally pursuing business related degrees, and between those who are more junior and those more senior in their academic careers.

Cultural Context: Given that people who work in Finance share a set of common beliefs and practices, they themselves constitute a folk group, a folk group to which one is seeking entry when one recruits for a job in Finance. In light of this fact, one has to exhibit certain behaviors and characteristics that someone already in the sought-after capacity might display. In order to explore what exactly constitutes the “right behavior”, one of our collectors, Joseph Wang interviewed Caroline Hsu one-on-one in a study room in the library in order to get a better sense of the behaviors in question.

Item: Caroline Hsu noted that one must appear confident and convicted in one’s responses because Finance professionals tend to be very confident. She also noted that one should have good posture and that one should be aware of nonverbal cues. She said one must also demonstrate knowledge of Finance and that one should exhibit their interest in the company they’re interviewing with. She said one must also be conscious of who the interviewer in particular is and must be careful not to offend them.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Relevant Portion: 4:32 — 5:07

Transcript of Associated File:

• Joseph: What kind of behavior would you exhibit in an interview … ?

• Caroline: In terms of behavior.. Uh.. it’s a difficult line between maintaining professionalism and also connecting with the interviewers… so I think that’s always a very ambiguous area to navigate and I think for me… I try to be aware of how I am perceived and I consider like what can I say that will allow  me to connect on a more personal level with my interviewer without saying anything offensive or that’s too personal

• Joseph: Okay…awesome.. Can you kind of talk about a behavior you would try to avoid ?

• Caroline: Bad behavior… would be umm .. a few things…  ah.. Saying anything like that shows you don’t care about the firm.. Specifically.. I think during a lot of interviews you are asked why x or why z firm.. It’s important you demonstrate strong interest in the firm… uhh another thing to avoid is showing a lack of knowledge. This is specific to technical questions…. You should show that you’re prepared for any kind of job you’re applying to … from a qualitative standpoint.. I always try to avoid something that might offend the interviewer.. This depends on the type of person your interviewer is…

• Joseph Wang: That was great! Can you touch a little bit more kind of.. On the nonverbal cues you would try to avoid during an the interview ?

• It is always important to project confidence.. I always try to sit up very straight and try to imitate the body language of my interviewer. If they are sitting very rigidly.. I would not be slouching and vice versa.. And maintaining eye contact for sure….at least for me, I never break eye contact. … I think it shows engagement and confidence

Collector’s Comments:

• Caroline’s relation reflects her profound level of introspection on the nature of folklore and it’s real-life implications

General Comments:

• Virtually universal and uniform findings here. No meaningful variances noted in what was discerned.

Collector’s Name:

• Joseph Wang

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary Folklore, Interview Behavior, Verbal and nonverbal cues

Genre and Sub Genre — Material Folklore: Interview attire

Language: English

Country where Item is from: United States

Informant Data: Matthew Kang is a senior at Dartmouth College studying Economics. Matt is from Tallahassee, Florida, where his parents work for the state government. He has participated in numerous rounds of finance recruiting interviews here at Dartmouth, and he has had finance internships ranging from venture capital to investment banking. He will also begin his career in the finance industry after graduation in New York City. On campus, Matt is part of the Dartmouth Business Journal and Dartmouth Finance Society.  

Social Context: Given that appropriate dress within the contexts of interviews, Finance or otherwise, can often be a confusing issue for many prospective interviewees, interviewees will reach out to those who have conducted interviews and have ideally secured offers from the interviews in question. And so the material folklore in question here is shared among more junior undergraduates, who have yet to really begin recruiting in earnest, and those who are more senior  and who more than likely have secured offers and have already worked in professional capacities. This folklore again is shared amongst both males and females, and among those pursuing degrees in Finance, Economics, or business more generally.

Cultural Context: Appropriate dress is something emphasized in cultures throughout the world. However, what constitutes appropriate dress changes based on the situation or the particular context one finds one’s self in. Given the highly competitive nature of Finance Interviews and the myriad of things one needs to get “right” in order to secure an offer, we wanted to explore how one ought to dress in a Finance interview and get a better sense for what constitutes appropriate dress. Towards this end, Matthew Kang was interviewed by Joseph Wang one-on-one in a study room in the library.

Item: Matthew Kang noted to Joseph in response to his questions regarding appropriate dress in interviews that one must dress Business Formal in Finance Interviews. This means wearing a suit, tie, and dress shoes. One must also be generally understated in what they wear in a Finance interview. He also noted that the aforementioned stipulation in dress is analogous for women.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Relevant Portion: 3:13 — 3:42

Transcript of Associated File:

• Joseph: Can you talk generally about the dress code… ?

• Matthew: Um… interviews are always in my experience and talking to others have always been business formal …. For men … um it’s a suit … it’s a tie .. its dress shoes.. For women it’s in the same vein

Collector’s Comments:

• Matthew was very lucid in his explanation of what constitutes appropriate interview attire. Given the centrality of appropriate dress in Finance interviews and having had conversations surrounding interview attire with friends similarly recruiting, Matthew had a great appreciation for material folklore in Finance, a reality exemplified by his insights noted here.

General Comments:

• In speaking to our informants, we generally heard the same things about dress in Finance interviews. For one, we heard that Business formal is a must. A good tie, nice dress shoes, and a nice belt to go along with one’s outfit. Some informants in particular suggested wearing either a blue or black suit. Also black or brown shoes in particular were suggested. There we no meaningful variances in the material folklore collected here.

Collector’s Name:

• Joseph Wang

Tags/Keywords:

• Material Folklore, Corporate Recruiting Folklore

Genre and Sub Genre — Verbal Folklore: Orally relayed experiences and beliefs

Language: English

Country where Item is from: United States

Informant Data:  Agastya Gupta is a junior at Dartmouth College majoring in Computer Science. He is originally from the town of Saratoga in the Silicon Valley region of California. Both of his parents work in business development or finance, and he has participated in corporate recruiting here at Dartmouth for finance careers as well. He has been very successful in receiving both winter and summer internships, where he will be working at a private equity firm and a hedge fund. On campus, Agastya is a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon and does research at the Tuck School of Business.

Social Context: Given the very grueling nature of Finance jobs and the host of sacrifices one is compelled to make as a junior employee, prospective graduates must have a high level of conviction that a career in Finance is truly something they want to pursue. In light of that, senior undergraduate students will often question those younger than them who ostensibly want to go into Finance why exactly it is they think they might be interested in Finance. As such, the folklore in question is not only circulated among Econ and Business majors more generally, but among those who are more junior and those who are more senior in their undergraduate careers. This verbal folklore is shared amongst both males and females who aspire to careers in Finance.

Cultural Context: In a country where employment opportunities abound, it is often hard for people to decide what it is they want to do professionally. And given the myriad of choices one often has, it becomes imperative to do one’s due diligence about different fields of work so one can make an informed decision about what one’s best career path may be. In the same vein, it is also important for one to pursue something they’re passionate about. This is something particularly emphasized in American culture and impressed upon graduating college students. And so, in order to understand this particular aspect of corporate recruiting, we collected folklore surrounding the experiences and beliefs people had with respect to pursuing particular fields of work, and in this particular case, Finance. To this end, Agastya was interviewed by Joseph Wang one-on-one in a quiet area in the library. We interviewed other individuals as well, but for the sake of brevity, have simply included some of their insights here as opposed to creating another submission entirely.

Item: Agastya Gupta cited a host of different reasons for pursuing a career in Finance. The prestige, power, and clout associated with a job in Finance were things he cited as motivating his interest in Finance. He also noted the ability to work with really intelligent, ambitious, and driven people as being particularly compelling things about working in Finance. The exit opportunities available to one after a stint in Finance was also among the things he cited that made Finance particularly compelling. Interestingly enough, he also noted that people pursue Finance because everyone else is doing it or to secure external validation.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

• Insert Media File Here

Relevant Portion: From 00:00 — 1:42

Transcript of Associated File:

• Joseph Wang: Can you talk to me about some of the common beliefs you’ve heard in regards to motivations in the Finance Industry…. and can you talk a little about the of the positive and negative stereotypical motivations regarding the Finance Industry?

• Agastya Gupta: Yea….  so…. I mean you typically hear that it’s all about the money, the power, the prestige and ahh….  you know, I think, you know a big reason people pursue Finance is because everyone else seems to be doing it and they don’t actually understand the nature of the job and what they want to do with it long term. I don’t think any of these things, seeking out money, power, and prestige early in your career are necessarily bad things, it’s important to do that right… it’s important to cultivate your network early on in your career… what I do think is problematic is everyone sort of falling in and just applying for Finance Jobs without actually understanding the nature of the role and where they want to be in five years. Its.. it’s… the hours tend to be very long.. The job tends to be very grueling… people assume that it’s just the thing to do… without really understanding what they want to get out it… that’s what really problematic… not the fact that people are motivated by Finance or the desire to build their network….

Informant’s Comments:

• Informant just finished recruiting and feels particularly relieved. He credits his success in the recruiting cycle to his clear understanding of why he wanted to pursue Finance.

Collector’s Comments:

• Informant was very lucid and had a good understanding of the motivations behind pursuing a career in Finance and why he himself was particularly drawn to Finance.

General Comments:

• What is cited here with respect to the motivations for pursuing Finance largely jibe with what our other informants told us. Another thing we found that our informants cited as a motivating force is the monetary compensation that one receives that ultimately enables one to pay off the student loans incurred pursuing a degree at a preeminent institution like Dartmouth. Beyond some of positive aspects of working in Finance, some people cited a general interest in the actual subject matter of Finance. The opportunity to work on a host of different transactions was something people cited as being particularly compelling.

Collector’s Name:

• Joseph Wang

Tags/Keywords:

• Verbal Folklore / Experiences