Ethics Interview Question

I've always wondered what types of things Wall Street firms want to hear when they ask interview questions like:

"Please desribe an ethical dilemma you were once in and how you handled it."

"What would you do if you saw a classmate cheating?"

etc.

On one hand, I can totally see with all the banking regulations/SEC that they don't want a repeat of Enron and would want someone to report this stuff and stay on top of it. But on the other hand, I will assume that unethical practices are part of any business (even if they don't violate the SEC, e.g. affair in the office) and they don't want to have to worry about someone going around and gossiping.

Opinions?

6 Comments
boozerThis has GOT to be a joke. You never display anything but the highest levels of integrity in interviews. Even joking about being unethical is going to raise some eyebrows.
This is what I always assumed, but sadly I've heard otherwise from some so called "experts" that it's good to bend the truth about this in an interview and say you would let things slide even if you wouldn't.

Makes me happy that ethics are appreciated and us folks who abide by standards and rules, do not need to worry about being looked down upon.

 

It's not about the answer you give. Go through all the thought processes and what could eventuate from them. Make a point that you understand that you could let it slide and have considered it, but then thought better of it. Then, come to a good conclusion from the options you have considered and what you have learned (or how you could help others in the future).

Having a straight line answer sounds canned. Acknowledge the dilemma but make the hard call as it 'will be best in the long run'.

 

I would answer this question as I would answer - tell me a time when you face an ethical dilemma; of course you would choose an example where you did the right thing.

 

Sequi iure impedit provident ut. Sed at aut quas provident. Tempora accusamus qui cum doloribus quia temporibus fugiat. Sit eveniet sapiente ut et dolore.

----------------------------------------------------------------- “It's all nonsense. Firms use titles to pander to the egos of the employees without giving away the store. If you are getting the money, who cares about the title?"

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (71) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”