Bad Interview Moments Forum

[barkschool]

Interview for semester paid in house part time position at a major finance company. Spent several hours researching it, still could not figure out their business model (zero financial background - knew a guy who hooked me up with the interview), figured screw it. Took down detailed notes and went into the interview.

After a few preliminary questions they said "Ok, what do you know about our organization and what we do?" I pulled out this single page of yellow legal pad paper totally filled with scribbles that i'm sure were illegible to anyone else and said "well, i honestly have no idea, but this is what I could figure out" and just started talking.

The senior in house counsels mix of horror and annoyance was actually kind of funny.

Asking the guy who set up the interview would have been a step too far?

[hdunlop]

I didn't think people actually cared about that stuff. I always use a fork or my hands when eating sushi. Way too inept with chopsticks. This is America. In America, we use forks (when in public so people don't see us using our hands).

Far out, I'm not sure I've ever seen someone eat sushi with a fork or their hands. And I'm old and white AF.

Also, sushi should never be sopping.

Don't know that either is a huge deal, but I confess I'd be quietly judging.

[Anonymous User]

Interviewer: What made you want to interview at our firm

(The firm famously represents coca cola.)

Me: I'm a big fan of coke

[zot1]

Interview for semester paid in house part time position at a major finance company. Spent several hours researching it, still could not figure out their business model (zero financial background - knew a guy who hooked me up with the interview), figured screw it. Took down detailed notes and went into the interview.

After a few preliminary questions they said "Ok, what do you know about our organization and what we do?" I pulled out this single page of yellow legal pad paper totally filled with scribbles that i'm sure were illegible to anyone else and said "well, i honestly have no idea, but this is what I could figure out" and just started talking.

The senior in house counsels mix of horror and annoyance was actually kind of funny.

Asking the guy who set up the interview would have been a step too far?

I love it how we are expected to have a crazy awesome answer to the "why us?" question when our interviewers likely answered "I like money" back in the day.

[Anonymous User]

I said patent "prosecutioner" instead of prosecutor in a screener when asked why patent prosecution (I dunno why really). I realized I made a blunder but went ahead without correcting myself!

[Anonymous User]

Interviewer: What made you want to interview at our firm

(The firm famously represents coca cola.)

Me: I'm a big fan of coke

So King & Spalding?

[barkschool]

Interviewer: What made you want to interview at our firm

(The firm famously represents coca cola.)

Me: I'm a big fan of coke

So King & Spalding?

I hope you asked if they have yearly passes to the Georgia Aquarium at the callback

[Anonymous User]

Interviewer: What made you want to interview at our firm

(The firm famously represents coca cola.)

Me: I'm a big fan of coke

So King & Spalding?

I hope you asked if they have yearly passes to the Georgia Aquarium at the callback

So wait. You guys don't think "I'm a big fan of coke" sounded awkward?

The position is in ATL and I already have my pass. So I didn't think to ask.

[hdunlop]

ohhh i get it now

no (but i'm apparently slow)

[Anonymous User]

Interviewer: What made you want to interview at our firm

(The firm famously represents coca cola.)

Me: I'm a big fan of coke

So King & Spalding?

I hope you asked if they have yearly passes to the Georgia Aquarium at the callback

So wait. You guys don't think "I'm a big fan of coke" sounded awkward?

The position is in ATL and I already have my pass. So I didn't think to ask.

I took it as an attempt at mild interview humor. Was it not?

[Anonymous User]

Interviewer: What made you want to interview at our firm

(The firm famously represents coca cola.)

Me: I'm a big fan of coke

So King & Spalding?

I hope you asked if they have yearly passes to the Georgia Aquarium at the callback

So wait. You guys don't think "I'm a big fan of coke" sounded awkward?

The position is in ATL and I already have my pass. So I didn't think to ask.

I took it as an attempt at mild interview humor. Was it not?

Yeah but nobody laughed. So they either thought it wasn't funny or they think I like snorting cocaine.

I suppose I could be misremembering. The interview was last week. But I'm pretty sure nobody laughed so I just continued talking.

[hdunlop]

I literally thought you meant cocacola

[rpupkin]

So wait. You guys don't think "I'm a big fan of coke" sounded awkward?

It's awkward because you should never try to make a joke in response to a serious interview question. And "why do you want to work at our firm?" counts as a serious question. Any joke is awkward in that context.

Light-hearted conversation and jokes are fine if your interviewer is chatting with you about sports or weather. But once the serious questions come, it's time to play it straight.

[BK88]

Interview for semester paid in house part time position at a major finance company. Spent several hours researching it, still could not figure out their business model (zero financial background - knew a guy who hooked me up with the interview), figured screw it. Took down detailed notes and went into the interview.

After a few preliminary questions they said "Ok, what do you know about our organization and what we do?" I pulled out this single page of yellow legal pad paper totally filled with scribbles that i'm sure were illegible to anyone else and said "well, i honestly have no idea, but this is what I could figure out" and just started talking.

The senior in house counsels mix of horror and annoyance was actually kind of funny.

Asking the guy who set up the interview would have been a step too far?

I love it how we are expected to have a crazy awesome answer to the "why us?" question when our interviewers likely answered "I like money" back in the day.

Totally should have asked the guy who set it up, luckily however I got the position because apparently no one had even attempted to explain their business model and just gave them one sentence in the interview. My boss told me later that " you were wrong, but you clearly did the research and you couldn't have known you were wrong"

[Anonymous User]

damn this thread delivers the lulz. here's my OCI experience:

A partner walks in, introduces himself and says a little bit about his firm for about 2 minutes. He then concludes, "any questions before we leave?" I never got to speak. I knew of him before and I always got this weird vibe that he only hires white males.

[Sgtpeppernyc]

Wow, I started this thread 4 years ago ... can't believe it's still going. They grow up so fast.

[Effingham]

damn this thread delivers the lulz. here's my OCI experience:

A partner walks in, introduces himself and says a little bit about his firm for about 2 minutes. He then concludes, "any questions before we leave?" I never got to speak. I knew of him before and I always got this weird vibe that he only hires white males.

For future interviewees, this is actually fairly common and not because you are or not a white male. Be prepared with at least 20 minutes of questions. The questions don't have to be firm specific and probably shouldn't be, but this is a common technique to get you to think on your feet. It is your job to make the interview last 20/30 minutes, not their job.

[cron1834]

damn this thread delivers the lulz. here's my OCI experience:

A partner walks in, introduces himself and says a little bit about his firm for about 2 minutes. He then concludes, "any questions before we leave?" I never got to speak. I knew of him before and I always got this weird vibe that he only hires white males.

For future interviewees, this is actually fairly common and not because you are or not a white male. Be prepared with at least 20 minutes of questions. The questions don't have to be firm specific and probably shouldn't be, but this is a common technique to get you to think on your feet. It is your job to make the interview last 20/30 minutes, not their job.

Yeah. Plus, you actually knew things about the guy before OCI? Half of the hustle at OCI is quickly learning things about a couple dozen interviewers and asking them about their experiences. You already knew enough about this guy to form opinions, yet couldn't come up with a single question when asked to do so?

This thread is like my favorite on all of TLS, but it's about funny moments, not obvious screwups.

[RaceJudicata]

damn this thread delivers the lulz. here's my OCI experience:

A partner walks in, introduces himself and says a little bit about his firm for about 2 minutes. He then concludes, "any questions before we leave?" I never got to speak. I knew of him before and I always got this weird vibe that he only hires white males.

For future interviewees, this is actually fairly common and not because you are or not a white male. Be prepared with at least 20 minutes of questions. The questions don't have to be firm specific and probably shouldn't be, but this is a common technique to get you to think on your feet. It is your job to make the interview last 20/30 minutes, not their job.

Yeah... This is a bad interview moment because you sorta blew it. No offense...but this was an opportunity for you to ask questions to him.. Better luck next time.

ETA: Sorry for piling on -- above poster got in right before I posted. The point has been made..carry on...

[Anonymous User]

This is from a callback last September at a NYC V50. The interviewer had gone to Cornell for UG, saw that I had too, and asked me if I liked it.

Me: Oh, I loved it! *Goes on for 30 seconds about my undying love for Cornell*

Her: I hated it. It was so cold and there was nothing to do.

Me: ... Yeah, a lot of my friends thought so too! *Awkward laugh*

I changed the topic to the firm as quickly as possible.

Her: So why do you want to come here?

Me: Well, I met with some people from Firm X when they visited this semester and they seemed really enthusiastic about the firm!

Her: *Mouth drops* People were enthusiastic about working here?!?

Me: *Awkward silence*

No offer.

[Winter is Coming]

Nothing more fun than the "associate who can't even cover up their hatred of their life" for 20 minutes during CBs.

[Tanicius]

This is from a callback last September at a NYC V50. The interviewer had gone to Cornell for UG, saw that I had too, and asked me if I liked it.

Me: Oh, I loved it! *Goes on for 30 seconds about my undying love for Cornell*

Her: I hated it. It was so cold and there was nothing to do.

Me: ... Yeah, a lot of my friends thought so too! *Awkward laugh*

I changed the topic to the firm as quickly as possible.

Her: So why do you want to come here?

Me: Well, I met with some people from Firm X when they visited this semester and they seemed really enthusiastic about the firm!

Her: *Mouth drops* People were enthusiastic about working here?!?

Me: *Awkward silence*

No offer.

LOL, it just bothers me to no end that someone is tasked with hiring and they do everything in their power to fuck it up like that.

[ookoshi]

Yeah, it sounds like that interviewer did not care to make that interview go well from the beginning (which you would think that as a fellow alum they would at least give you a fair shake). My guess is that they already had someone else in mind for what was probably their last spot or two, considering it was a late CB.

[pancakes3]

should have just slept with her then

[Tanicius]

Yeah, it sounds like that interviewer did not care to make that interview go well from the beginning (which you would think that as a fellow alum they would at least give you a fair shake). My guess is that they already had someone else in mind for what was probably their last spot or two, considering it was a late CB.

My guess is instead that she just didn't want to be doing callback interviews but her bosses made her so she gave the bosses the middle finger by fucking over all the applicants she was given. Partners can be particularly skilled at this kind of inner-office political sabotage.