<p>im unfamiliar with the different jobs and positions in the business world, but it does seem that a lot of them require interpersonal communication, etc. would i be at a disadvantage for these positions since i'm short (around 5'4")? do people generally not respect short businessmen compared to well-built businessmen?</p>
<p>if i am disadvantaged, what kind of jobs or positions should i look for where my height would not be so much of a factor?</p>
<p>Height does matter and so does looks, any honest experienced businessman or businesswoman will tell you that. Afterall you are working with clients, and you are a reflection of the company. BUT, if you have great speaking skills, are intellectually sharp, and think quick on your feet, your height will be a non-factor. </p>
<p>You certainly shouldn't alter your career choice based on your height disadvantage, just sharpen up the skills listed above and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>thanks afterhours</p>
<p>I've got one word for you: Napoleon</p>
<p>hate to burst your bubble. corporate america is the most superficial work place on this planet. a recruiter once told me that he wouldnt hire somebody b/c the applicant had bad breath, his firm was very sleazy but very well repsected. statistically, good looking male make more money than ugly males. ive heard this somehwere reliable, i dont remeber where. thats b/c the skills needed for the job often stem from having confidence in yourself, or atleast i think that. just having questions about your hieght shows that you might lack self-confidence. clientele will repsect good looking employees more than ugly employees. and if you do land a corporate job, expect to work in the back office crunching numbers and financial modeling, while your btter looking counterparts interact with clients and management. this happens often with asian minorities.</p>
<p>yea trojanman is right, you dont see many asian financial consultants working out there with there clients.</p>
<p>Wow, you guys are making the poor guy feel bad! haha. Just go on to Goldman Sachs, or Morgan Stanley or a top investment bank like that and look at the profiles of the analysts. They usually have pictures of them so you can have a pretty good idea of the standards. </p>
<p>You will find that they are generally good looking people. Definitely not a firm full of models, but keep yourself in order and you should be find. Another interesting note: look at the institutions that some of the employees attended, and I'm sure you'll be surprised by some of them.</p>
<p>Alot of people are not from the ivy league or top 25 colleges on that link....shows you what you can do for yourself not what the college can do for you.</p>
<p>You short people should wear platform shoes and pinstripe suits to make yourselves look taller. I can attest to the fact that being tall (6'3") gets you more respect in the business world than being short. w00t for height!</p>
<p>There are plenty of short people who do just fine. When you are talking about top jobs that require a lot of talent, you will be hired if you bring the skills to the table. Is someone good looking and glib most likely to be the front man at an ibank or consulting firm? Sure. My boyfriend works for one of the best and let me assure you the arb guys and others who need to be brilliant are not beauty contest winners!</p>
<p>well im not so concerned about where i go to school or my image. it just sucks when i have to look up to tall people when talking to them, and this seems as if they automatically have the advantage because they are "looking down" at you while you have to "look up" to them.</p>
<p>I didn't dig what you said about Asians - it doesn't seem to be true. So here's the "crunched numbers."</p>
<p>So, based on the Goldman Sachs link:</p>
<p>Fraction of Asians in each division.</p>
<p>I only chose the most "interacting" divisions - lots of sales positions, etc.</p>
<p>Equities : 6/14
Fixed Income Currency and Commodities: 3/9
Human Capital Management: 1/3
Investing Banking/Corporate Finance: 2/16
Investment Management: 5/13</p>
<p>In any case - these ratios are far higher than the ratio of Asians in the population as a whole.</p>
<p>Thanks for the inaccurate and damning stereotype about "Asians."</p>
<p>By the way - if you're relying on using height to beat Asians for jobs - don't coun't on it. <a href="http://english.people.com.cn/200206/19/eng20020619_98155.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://english.people.com.cn/200206/19/eng20020619_98155.shtml</a></p>
<p>I wouldn't sweat the height thing, kfc4u. Superficial aspects of candidates DO sometimes have an influence, but this is mostly true before individuals develop a track record. In trying to evaluate two recent grads, for example, a recruiter is likely to be more heavily influenced by interview skills, B-school pedigree, appearance, etc. In comparing a couple of division managers for promotion to group VP, demonstrated performance will greatly outweigh minor appearance issues.</p>
<p>As far as the "bad breath" comment, MTM, I wouldn't say that's entirely irrational. Execs in client contact positions are expected to have appropriate social skills, and someone who shows up for an interview with major halitosis or other significant grooming issue is likely to not make the short list. If the candidate was perfect in every other way, I would have expected the recruiter to discuss the issue frankly with the candidate and keep him in the running; I'd guess there were other issues, and the breath thing was an easy way to ice the rejection. It's pretty common for recruiters to identify weaknesses in a candidate and do some coaching before sending the candidate on to the client.</p>
<p>He was nicknamed The Little Corporal (le petit caporal) after his victories at the Italian border. The name, roughly translated to "low ranking" or "unknown" corporal, was given to him by his soldiers in 1796 when Napoleon, then a very young and unknown corporal was in charge of the lackluster and demoralized French army at the Italian border. A heroic episode of crossing a bridge at the Battle of Lodi that year endeared him to the French and brought him recognition as a leader. Contrary to popular myth, the name 'little' was not in reference to his height (he was 5 foot 6.5 tall, taller than average for a Frenchman in his times).</p>
<p>I'm 5'6". My current boss is probably 6"4". My last boss was maybe 5'3", and one of the smartest people I've ever known.</p>
<p>I used to work for a large company where being tall, medium weight, and having "executive hair" seemed to be a prerequisite for advancement. (Scott Adams used to work there, and did a series of Dilbert cartoons on the topic.) I left. My father (also 5'6") worked at a place where they actually announced a policy (soon withdrawn) of not hiring any man under 6'0".</p>
<p>I'm not going to recommend that you spend your evenings in gravity boots. If you want a job where short people have an advantage, think about becoming a jockey. Otherwise, acknowledge that you're short, acknowledge that some people have some prejudices to overcome, and knock 'em dead with your intelligence and drive.</p>