QuoteOriginally posted by: KackToodlesQuoteOriginally posted by: yurakmThese traits are very valuable generally, and particularly in an investment banking environment. They should help woman to thrive in the environment, not hinder their careers. the most important skill in banking is ability to see and understand the Big Picture and how it pertains to your colleagues and clients. Banking is not unique or special in the respect. I would say that it is more important in smaller and more nimble organizations that a typical world class bank. Seeing a big picture clearly would seldom help an entry level quant, who should execute a narrow set of tasks handed to him. Major banks are army-like structures, where neither a private, nor a lieutenant, nor even most of colonels are expected or permitted to make strategic decisions, no matter if they would be capable to make them. Not even can they decide what battalion to join, with few exceptions - though unlike in army, they may join another bank or hedge fund or similar without being traitors ...Any case, woman are not less capable than man in seeing a big picture, I believe.

Nothing wrong with solitude.

cplxphil raises an interesting point about female social skills, and by a beautiful coincidence have reached the point in my 8 year old's education where he needs to understand various forms of sampling error.I will bet real money that in the next 10 articles you read in any media about the characteristics of men and women, women will be shown to be superior.That's not just social skills, but immune systems, multi tasking, etc. Don't you spot a pattern here ?

QuoteOriginally posted by: DominicConnorI will bet real money that in the next 10 articles you read in any media about the characteristics of men and women, women will be shown to be superior.That's not just social skills, but immune systems, multi tasking, etc. Don't you spot a pattern here ?Indeed, the recently highly publicised study which found 'no differences' in mathematical ability between girls and boys was conducted by a professor in a department of 'Psychology and Women's Studies'I wonder do they know what confirmation bias is?Any study which showed the opposite wouldn't get publishedOf course, women are percieved to be on the receiving end of prejudice, so by definition the gender gap is as a result of 'culture'Interestingly, one account I read states that:While the gender gap in math performance seems to be narrowing, Hyde and Mertz caution that the United States may fall further behind other nations in math performance as tests mandated by No Child Left Behind include almost no questions requiring complex problem-solvingPity the esteemed professor couldn't draw the obvious conclusion

QuoteOriginally posted by: cplxphil(And, ironically enough, it is 8:30 p.m. EST on Valentine's Day, and I am alone in my apartment, listening to music and reading posts on an online quantitative finance forum. Still more evidence that women have better social skills!) you are alone because your future wife doeesn't have the social skills to find you and ask you out yet. why do you blame yourself? It's her fault.