*This story appeared in the 2011 Joke Issue.
Low libido in the financial sector has forced record numbers of students to find summer employment in an unlikely field — the sex industry.
According to director of Career Services Patricia Rose, preliminary surveys indicate that more students will be interning in the sex industry than in any other this coming summer.
The number of students employed in the industry — which spans everything from adult entertainment to dungeon mastery — has been swelling over the past few years, likely due to a flaccid job market, Rose said.
Despite the stigma, associate director of Career Services Claire Klieger said working in the sex industry provides valuable work experience across fields, in airplanes and in the back seat, among other pubic locations.
“Few industries can provide you with that breadth of training in interpersonal relations,” Klieger said. “It’s fun, fun, fun, fun — and great exposure to the world of small business.”
For Rose, the burning interest in the industry does not come as a surprise.
“We always encourage students to pursue their desires,” she said, “so it is natural that we’re seeing high levels of interest in sex work.”
One Wharton junior, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of her work, will be walking the streets as a call girl with a high-end Philadelphia escort service.
While she said she was initially “bummed” not to get the Goldman Sachs internship she had hoped for, she thinks this will be a unique addition to her resume.
“How many other investment banking applicants can put exotic massage on their list of skills?” she asked.
College sophomore Kevin Grossman was similarly excited for his internship with an adult film production studio.
“I’ve always wanted to go into filmmaking,” Grossman said, “and they always say you should go with what you know, so adult films seemed like a logical choice for me.”
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