Yours and Mine

Sounds cheesy right? like His and Hers...

That’s what I thought when I first joined the financial market about half a decade ago. My introduction to the dealing room was a whirlwind— watching Bloomberg’s colorful screens, listening to the rapid-fire conversations during trading sessions and every other thing in-between. The fast-paced exchanges were intriguing then, and they still are.

After a while, I got my own terminal, and it was game on. I’ll never forget closing my first trade. It was lots of "tell him to flex" and "show him X", basically negotiations with guidance from my senior colleagues, but I got it done. I remember vividly the excitement that followed, and of course, I had to "wash" the trade, as is tradition. Needless to say, I’ve closed more trades over the years and, more importantly, sharpened my negotiation skills.

But here’s the thing: the job doesn’t just stay in the dealing room—it sticks with you. In the financial market, after closing a trade, you either type "yours" if you’re the seller or "mine" if you’re the buyer.

Now, those words haunt me beyond work. In random conversations, whether in person or in chats, my heart skips a beat when I hear or see "yours" or "mine." My mind immediately jumps to, "Wait, what did I show you? What am I selling or buying?" It’s like the lines between work and life blur, and the market lingo just sneaks into my everyday thoughts, even when I’m off the clock. I’ve discussed this with a couple of people in the market, and they’ve had the same experience—it’s like our work language is always there, following us around.

It’s funny, yet profound, how our careers become such a big part of us, weaving into our lives and following us everywhere we go, reminding us that the work we choose really does shape who we are, sometimes in ways we never expected.

By: Marvellous Adiele

Global Markets