Laid Off Bankers Don Pink Bracelets And Party Down With Head

Word is the third Wall Street Pink Slip Party, held last night at the Public House in midtown Manhattan, was packed with people. About 400 ex-financial services employees and recruiters donned glow-in-the-dark bracelets (pink for the laid off, green for headhunters and blue for “neutral,” which perhaps meant “just here for the cheap cocktails”) to mingle and discover how they could help each other out. According to one of the organizers of the event, areas in which firms seem to be hiring right now include technology, risk management and proprietary trading (at non-TARP banks).

Barring the cocktails and its start and end time, the event sounds a little like one Vault co-sponsored last week with the New York Public Library which also had quite a turnout. Check out a few clips and more about the event here.

Also last night I was speaking to a friend who teaches prep classes for the GMAT and helps MBA wannabes write their applications. As expected, given the grave situation out there for financially-minded job seekers, his business has been extremely steady if not booming as of late, as aspiring financiers by the thousands are vying for spots in which to hide out from the rough job market for the next 24 months.