As an introvert you should know that has nothing to do with being an antisocial loner…
yep 
Good point. I never worked on a trading floor and really wonder how these dude do it.
How do you make quick trading decisions, where errors can cost millions, with like 7 guys talking loud on the phone next to you and more phones ringing and everything blinking all over the place.
I guess in my imagination it embodies the cool finance job that I’ll never have. #hacksaw.
^ I imagine the chatter eventually becomes white noise once you get used to it. My problem would be people specifically interrupting me.
I feel like I wouldn’t enjoy people knowing when I went to take a long poop, or even worse, leave on time.
So I have a bulk package of foam earplugs. When I need to work quickly and there are conversations going on I just pop them in, but for the most part people on the trading floor are relatively quiet and I’ve always been able to tune out white noise while reading. You literally have to shout at me to break my focus if I’m reading anything. Otherwise, I like being able to have a quick one or two sentence interaction without committing to a long conversation or walking around to find someone. I also like being able to hear/join relevant convos going on and have tabs on PM activity as well as very high visibility among PM’s. Everyone is very laid back about whether or not you’re at your desk and we all have either personal offices or cubicles available if we need to step away for privacy or if you need the space to read. So that’s nice. Literally never use mine other than as a place to keep my Keurig though.
Open offices are great in the sense that you can’t slack off because everyone will see it.
^ So I’m guessing most people that log on to AF during the day work in cubicles.
FT, what was the environment like when you were a trader?
Similar to this…with 4 fewer screens.
Ironically the best traders I’ve seen used 3 or less screens.
As far as culture and environment, during dead periods or someone’s bday it did happen from time to time to hire strippers or see some guys googling pics of HCBs, high end cars and homes . It’s the most impulsive, testosterone filled group of guys you will ever meet. Good thing we never hired a woman as we would have been sued to the stone age.
For the record, c*unt was the favorite swear word used when a market wasnt going on your side. It was remarkable how that word was used by 98% of traders. I preferred the word f*ck.
Huh… sounds alright to me! For me, every now and then someone from the group will come through on chat stating “f##k you bund, you c##k sucker” *dead slience* Then, when I have a bad one I just yell CRAP! *pug hides under bed*
Ah, I miss being able to use the word c*unt without people having melt downs.
I’ve only ever worked in an open plan office so the whole cubicle thing seems odd to me. I really don’t mind open plan as long as there’s always a certain level of chatter so it becomes white noise, really quiet offices freak me out.
i really like to smell laydies that walk by me
It’s a lot less offensive in UK than North America. It’s used to describe women in NA so I guess they don’t like that…
Worked in both, much prefer having an office with a few chairs for impromptu meetings when needed but privacy when I want it. Open office is for c*nts.
Ha ha didn’t know that. That’s hilarious.
Not sure if british wimenz are much better, though.
^ Pretty much the most offensive thing you can call a woman here.
Yeah, what higgs said. I still use it on occasion but definitely not recommended and definitely expect a response.