New Money

Laid-Off Wall Streeters Bartending, Baking Cupcakes

By Katy Marquardt

Posted: August 21, 2008

Tough times on Wall Street mean more than 76,000 workers in the financial service industry—including traders, bankers, and analysts—are now out of a job. What are they doing now? Trying on new careers for far less pay, reports the International Herald Tribune.

Take 27-year-old Harvard graduate Jessica Walter, who lost her job as vice president for credit strategy at Bear Stearns. Now she's in the cupcake business. Or Jeff Salmon, who left a job investing in asset-backed securities to open a hair-salon franchise in New Jersey. According to the story, former traders and bond salesmen are also bartending and selling real estate. Other ex-traders are paying the bills by gambling (perhaps inspired by the movie Boiler Room?).

And while bankers with a financial cushion are buying ranches out West and moving to Dubai, laid-off investment banker Joshua Perksy is trolling Park Avenue wearing a sandwich board reading "Experienced MIT Grad for Hire."

Joshua Persky new well paying job

Good creativity, no humiliation

In a matter of creativity the end is the only measurement of performance, You deserve this new and well paying job for your creativity and courage

Good luck in your new challenge, Joshua from

Arthur Mboue

Arthur Mboue of FL @ Dec 11, 2008 17:49:59 PM

The Face of the American Economy

You can follow Joshua Persky's story on his blog: www.oracleofny.com

Joshua Persky of NY @ Aug 23, 2008 19:01:09 PM

they deserve it

those people deserve about as much sympathy as the dotcommers who went back to mama's basement, which is to say, none.

they were even worse for the US economy, since a great many of them were dreaming up or participating in the hare-brained schemes in which the banks swindled themselves out of existence.

tork makeski of ID @ Aug 21, 2008 11:44:02 AM

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New Money

Katy Marquardt, a senior editor at U.S.News & World Report, takes a contemporary look at happenings in the financial world and aims to help young investors get going with their portfolios--or just sound cool at cocktail parties. Have a question? E-mail Katy at newmoney@usnews.com

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