Cursing during an interview

ToBankOrNotToBank:

For my internship this summer, my final interview was with the group MD and we were talking and getting along fine for twenty minutes and he's swearing a little. then he tells me his only reservation is that I'm coming off as too formal and not relaxed enough to everyone who's interviewed me so far and says "you don't always sound so proper do you? you're not afraid to relax and swear a little are you?" so I guess the moral of the story is to adapt to the situation (but I'd say err on the side of conservatism) (my answer to his question was "hell no")

you played the situation well.

ToBankOrNotToBank:

For my internship this summer, my final interview was with the group MD and we were talking and getting along fine for twenty minutes and he's swearing a little. then he tells me his only reservation is that I'm coming off as too formal and not relaxed enough to everyone who's interviewed me so far and says "you don't always sound so proper do you? you're not afraid to relax and swear a little are you?" so I guess the moral of the story is to adapt to the situation (but I'd say err on the side of conservatism) (my answer to his question was "hell no")

Should've told him to shut the fuck up and leave you alone.

I've said 'shit' a couple of times and no one has really showed any level of care about it. I have not ventured as far as using the f-word though

As an interviewer, I would find it very unprofessional were an interviewee to curse during the interview, regardless of how I'm speaking. I'm not your fucking buddy just because I drop an f-bomb.

^ that's why I've really tried to refrain from doing it even if the interviewer is chill.

When responding to the question of why we should hire you I dropped "blah blah blah... and I'm a guy who you can grab a beer with and shoot the shit after work."

Not a good response everywhere, know your crowd.

Edit: Definitely never drop the F bomb.

Don't curse. End of story.

Don't go past "shit." And even "shit" is questionable.

Not in an interview, but after I started working, especially in team meetings, expletives are always flying around. I would never do it in a presentation or to another senior executive though.

Swearing at work sounds a bit cheap. Swear like an Irish bartender out side the office, but keep the language PG otherwise.

In the two years I've been at my current firm, no one has ever dropped the f-bomb. In banking we dropped f-bombs amongst the analysts, but never in the presence of more senior folks.

Had an interviewer curse once, caught me by surprise big time. I could tell he didn't mean to and apologized. I had to be like 'oh yea no big deal', it really wasn't it was just very awkward.

You will never get dinged for not cursing. You might get dinged for cursing. Bad risk/reward for cursing. I probably wouldn't in an interview. This coming from someone who curses all the time.

SirTradesaLot:

You will never get dinged for not cursing. You might get dinged for cursing. Bad risk/reward for cursing. I probably wouldn't in an interview. This coming from someone who curses all the time.

This.

SirTradesaLot:

You will never get dinged for not cursing. You might get dinged for cursing. Bad risk/reward for cursing. I probably wouldn't in an interview. This coming from someone who curses all the time.

I think this is pretty good. I admit though, I have cursed in an interviewer after the interviewer curses and I have a feeling he is that type of "guy" and I want to show that I am not a robot and have a personality / he could go out drinking with me / he wouldn't mind having to see my face every day at the office.

And don't freak out if your interviewer curses. That could be a "I don't want to work with this fucking tool" red flag."

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hJyYoM4l-6o?list=UUj4fkhNe7nyxP8eIAqomdYQ

I was in a first round interview for spring recruiting and I used the word "chick". I got the next round, but the interviewer called me and made it clear to me that I was not to use any "politically" sensitive words during my superday interview.

Moral of the story: don't say anything remotely sensitive. If you say something questionable during an interview, they assume you would say it in front of a client.

ive cursed in most of my interviews. in the interview im currently doing this spring, i had 9 interviews. some things i said included shit, fuck, yolo, and we talked about how pretty i was with the interviewers but wondered why i dont get laid enough.

im not a dbag i swear

You shouldn't curse no matter how many f-bombs the interviewer is dropping. It's like gallows humor or office gossip -> the senior guys are doing it because they've earned the right to. You haven't earned the right to, so don't. I can see a tasteful "shit" being thrown in once but even then you never know. The guy cursing like a sailor could be the same guy that's going to ding a potential hire for saying "shit."

When the interviewers get into it where they start throwing bombs around it's hard to not get caught up if you're naturally a swearer like I am, but I've said shit a few times on accident and haven't had any problems that I know of but who knows. I'd just not swear, it's not like anybody is going to push you through to the next round on the grounds that you have an excellent arsenal of curse words.

i'd never say it in an interview or within the first 6months of hearing everyone else saying it. i never say it to any superiors unless i'm no longer under them and it is outside of an office setting.

Did anyone wonder what it would be like to work in an an environment without women?...like Draper...I'm willing to bet it would be a million times better. The awkward PC work environment is almost directly a product of women in the workplace (non-admin). Misogynist rant of the day/

Bankers curse entirely too much. It's pretty unnecessary. Sometimes a good f-bomb is warranted in the bullpen, but most of the time I feel like people swear because it makes them look hard/intimidating/aggressive.

Several of my interviewers casually cursed during my ib interviews, but my immediate reaction was to suspect a trap. Needless to say, I've never cursed in an interview. To qualify my reaction, I will say that I'm from a non-target, so when I went into my SA interviews I prepared myself as if I were strolling into Hue in '68.

Maybe it's different if you're coming from a target, but I can't see how, and I certainly don't see any upside from swearing.

"Damn" and "hell" is fine, imo (assuming the interviewer is relaxed), shit and fuck.. nope

I would personally avoid swearing in an interview. Maybe you can do it after you get the offer.

What kind of fucking barbarian has to consciously try and avoid cursing in an interview?

I called one trading firm a "shit show" guy interviewing me said "agree"

What happends if you say n..... Will the interviewer turn into ale sharp on?

Would it be bad in an interview to call ex coworkers noobs or the reason why you left is BC they didn't have them!

Meant jews

Errr boobs fling iphone

I wouldn't. Our bullpen curses, as do the senior guys and no one frowns upon it, but we had a SA candidate come in last year for a superday, strongest background/resume by far, and yet when he leaned back in his chair and started dropping f-bombs with the analysts, like he was our buddy, everyone thought he was a jackass and dinged him immediately.

omfg it's blastoise the back office beefcake jk

^^^If you weren't born and raised in Hue City and aren't wolfing down a bowl of pho right this instant, then you're an asshat of truly epic proportions for taking the time to make that idiotic comment.

I dropped an F bomb in a Fortune 500 company interview and still got the job...the answer is it depends on who you're talking with.

Stringer Bell:

I've joked w/ coworkers before about if a candidate was asked "Why do you want this job/whatever," and they answered "Honestly, because I can work my fucking ass off, want get my dick wet on the biggest deals possible, and beat the living shit out of the competition," BAM. "Skip the background check, when can you start kid?" has typically been the unanimous answer.

Lol I'd love to be a fly on the wall when some kid tried this.

i'll make you a promise i will try this at least once in a interview

While I agree that candor might be valued, trying this shit with an MD probably isn't going to go over well. I think you can convey your point without the need for foul language.

actually accidentally did this once and the conversion turned into a different level with the MD...guess where i am now lol

I get what you're saying and you're right about cursing being ubiquitous on the street (I was a trader and a Marine, so I am a master of fuckspeak). That said, I always made it a point not to use salty language in interviews. There's just some business settings where it's not appropriate.

Your interviewer might use it to either break the ice or just to test your limits. It's best to convey the same sentiment you would normally accentuate with profanity just by using more descriptive language. It showcases your people skills.

Once you've got the job, let her fuckin' rip.

It will show you can't appreciate a time and a place.... e.g. assume you are in a meeting with a Japanese client - will you try the same thing?

An interviewer may 'get it' but also wants to see how you can present yourself in a more 'upstream' way... If you were the guy I was interviewing I would not take you seriously.

And I do interview analyst level candidates at a BB.

I said shit in one of my interviews and still got the job. Although I was saying "shit hit the fan"

If you've got the experience and credentials to pull it off good, the more important thing would be if you're gonna say it, say it with confidence... that's the make it or break it I think. I've never dropped f bombs but I have said "i will work my ass off if you give me the chance". Also, like someone mentioned, there's a time and place for everything.

If you can read people really well then it isn't an issue. I've cussed during interviews before but, only after the interviewer dropped a 4 letter bomb. It was a slippery slope after that

You have to gauge your interviewer...at the end of the day the interview is used as a proxy for how you would handle a client meeting. If you have an uptight client who keeps it professional you wouldn't curse, so why would you do the same for your interviewer? Of course, if he / she lets them go and has no qualms then I don't see why you can't...but have the goods to back it up. It ain't a personality contest you're trying to win here.

I got my current gig from a cold call and the guy straight up asked, "What can you do for me that someone with more experience can't do better?" And I said. "I'll work my dick off" and here I am. Granted the guy was former Army, like me and we'd been talking for an hour before I said that.

I think it's fair game if your interviewer uses colorful language in the middle of the interview; ironically enough I think only female interviewers I've had loosened up enough in the middle of an interview to do so. To be fair they were reminiscing '07-'08.

Even if the interviewer cusses excessively, wouldn't it be smart for you to refrain, just to be safe? Why take the risk? They may see nothing wrong with them cussing, but may also hold you to a higher standard b/c you the one interviewee...

go big or go home that is why you take risks duh whatk ind of question is that