Starting your first job can be a scary experience, as it comes with a lot of pressure.
But it can be even more daunting if the sector a young person is about to join is seen as unwelcoming of those from diverse backgrounds.
International Adviser caught up with JP Morgan’s Alejandro Gonzalez to talk about his experience of entering the industry as an out gay man.
‘I wasn’t hiding’
Gonzalez is a fixed income & multi-asset manager solutions research, asset class leader at JP Morgan in London.
He was first introduced to financial services when he was recruited as an intern at JP Morgan in New York in 2015.
“What happens is, JP Morgan comes to Stanford [University] and they recruit directly on campus,” Gonzalez said. “But JPMorgan Chase also has an addendum called ‘Proud to Be’ and it is essentially an LGBT+ programme that seeks out high achievers from American universities.
“When I was being recruited as a junior at Stanford, I got an immense amount of support from the firm by being connected with senior individuals at the bank that have a similar experience to myself, identifying as a gay male.
“So, I came into my internship in New York, out. While I wasn’t as loud as I am today in terms of my comfortableness, I wasn’t hiding.
“So, it was really nice to be able to feel that support from the bank.”
Growing and changing
But JP Morgan also sponsors another programme called ‘Out for Undergrad’ where it promotes LGBT+ visibility in the sector.
“They bring the top students from across the United States, and they get a weekend full of interacting with JP Morgan but also other firms in financial services and consultancies to educate recruits.
“Just because it’s finance, doesn’t mean you cannot be yourself; whether it’s your sexuality or a disability.
“I’ve been super fortunate in that regard, and as I’ve grown at the firm that I joined in 2015, I’ve just had more confidence to be myself,” Gonzalez said.
“I’ve had a really fortunate experience, which I know might be unique, which is hopefully important to other people so they can understand that you don’t have to hide who you are, and you can definitely be in a role that’s very visible, while also being a gay male, or anyone else on the LGBT+ spectrum as well.”
Mentorship
Gonzalez believes financial services is becoming a more accepting industry and that change is increasingly visible.
“I would 100% agree that it’s become a more open sector.”
He told IA that during the recruitment process at Stanford, he wasn’t only put in touch with senior professionals at JP Morgan.
“It was like a mentorship, and they brought to the forefront people that were very senior at the bank who identified as LGBT+, to illuminate on their experience about being LGBT+ at the bank and their career path and their history.
“That is something that you don’t necessarily read about or know, or you would even inherently assume,” he added.
Being evaluated for your ability
Gonzalez considers himself fortunate, but many other LGBT+ people cannot say the same.
When asked about what needs to change, he said: “I think the issue is that people don’t know these resources [like the Out for Undergrad and Proud to Be programmes] exist.
“Back in 2014, when I was 20, I had been going to JP Morgan’s campus in New York for two years. In 2012, I went to Out for Undergraduate to have a business conference that was hosted at JP Morgan, and I got direct access to different lines of businesses to understand what finance looks like, and also to show that there are ways you can be LGBT+.
“Those identities are intersectional, and you shouldn’t have to feel that they’re mutually exclusive.”
Gonzalez moved to JP Morgan’s London offices in 2018 where he also didn’t face any negativity for being a gay professional in the sector.
“It’s really important to share a positive story. I think it’s important that people understand that there are firms out there where you can be yourself and you’re evaluated on your skill and ability,” he added.
