GUEST COMMENT: Why I quit derivatives for stand-up comedy (and the stigma of being an ex-banker)

Working for Bear Stearns in Tokyo as a derivatives specialist wasn't without its benefits. My expat status afforded a generous salary, a $50k a year apartment and supported a holiday home with a swimming pool in Florida.

But, by early 2007, cracks were already beginning to show at Bear. I remember the head of equity trading, Ken, who spent vast majority of his life in the office. He was known variously as 'Ken, the trader', 'Ken, the banker, and (his favourite) 'Ken, the Ferrari driver'.

Then, one day his team lost more money than they were ever meant to, and he was quickly shown the door.

I remember feeling really sorry for him, not because was lost his income (I am sure he was still relatively wealthy) but because he had spent years cultivating this image of himself and suddenly...he was just Ken. I never wanted to dedicate my life to creating a false illusion. I wanted to be just Aidan from the start.

Before all this happened, one day I was spending an evening at the Tokyo Comedy Store (a comedy club for English speakers) and had the thought that getting up in front of a room full of people and trying to make them laugh would be a good way of honing my presentation skills at work.

I signed up to do a three minute open-spot the next month. I was terrified before the gig, but the high I got from making a room full of people laugh was incredible. I was addicted, and doing this on a monthly basis became my new hobby.

Soon afterwards, as the situation continued to sour at Bear Stearns, I quit my job. After much soul-searching while travelling around Japan (and various other countries on the way back to Ireland) I'd decided to try and make it as a stand-up comedian.

The stigma of being a banker

There are a few struggles when starting up on the stand-up circuit - for a start, getting gigs is really hard and those you do get rarely pay anything. Well, except the sound of laughter, which is by no means guaranteed.

One problem I didn't face when starting up in 2008 - when the banking crisis in Ireland was just a twinkle in Anglo's eye - was anti-banker sentiment. When I mentioned it in my routine there was a gentle jeer, whereas nowadays this has escalated into full-on boos.

Similarly, before the recession kicked in, when hosts in comedy clubs would ask people what they do, people would proudly shout "I work for a bank". Today, this doesn't happen - bankers are ashamed and even terrified to admit it at all if they work in a bank.

I often see people in suits make up highly unlikely occupations to avoid ridicule. It is quite amazing that within less than two years, being employed as a banker has gone from a badge of honour to something to hide.

A new start

Still, I do comedy to make people laugh. I want them to have a good time, so I don't spend too much time talking about doom and gloom.

Usually, I make some light-hearted jokes like: "Recently, my friend lost his house.... Luckily when he sobered up, he found it again" or I point to my hair and say "I have been unemployed now... this long." Comedy clubs are a place where people should leave all their financial and other issues at home and just enjoy a night of fun and laughter.

I'm lucky because I now make a living from doing what I love most; making people laugh. I am happy that I am playing my part in saving this world one endorphin at a time.

Aidan Killian is a banker turned comedian and is resident MC at Laugh Out Loud comedy club in Dublin. He also runs the Comedy Crash Course, where he teaches presentation skills through stand-up comedy. aidan@laughoutloud.ie