A Front Row Seat to Wall Street

I see them walk in every morning like clockwork, in their sleek suits, gleaming shoes and the ever-present hum of Bluetooth calls still echoing as they approach my desk. I’m a receptionist in a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, home to one of the many investment banks that keep this city’s heart beating fast. I see them all, even though I dont work for them directly, every single day I see them.

Some of them walk past me with a nod, and others put out a warm smile and ask how my morning is going, usually without stopping to listen to my answer. Then there are the juniors, who are full of fresh self every day, with wide eyes and flashy smiles and are always a little sweaty or late. I’ve seen more of their awkward elevator small talk than I care to admit.

In all of this, there is a rhythm, morning rush, midday Uber eats deliveries, and late night exists with loosened ties and sleepy eyes. I always wonder how do they do it? 80-90 hours per week, back-to-back meetings and the inevitable pressure to be perfect every day. I have overheard more client calls than I should, and witnessed the managing director cry in the lobby, which surprised me.

But there’s so much I learn from watching them that they aren’t aware of. I see who’s in charge, who’s faking it, who is burnt out and who just can’t wait to watch. I notice who’s polite to the security guards, who makes small talk with the janitor, who actually remembers my name. The ones who do? They stand out.

Watching them, I realise how I had my own dreams of making it through all the hurdles. But this desk has taught me so much more than any business school ever could. How ambitious people are put down, and money rules the world everywhere. How many times confidence can be just another mask of disguise.

And yet, with all of the facade, what is seen in all of them is loneliness. The loneliness of being buried under spreadsheets and presentations. I see their desperate longing for a day off or looking out the window, lost in thoughts, figuring out if they ever wanted to be in the place where they started out.

But at the end of the day, I’m just a receptionist that observes a lot. And I’ve started to think that the best view in finance isn’t from the corner office; it’s from right where I am sitting.