No Call Back for 1ST Round - Super Day next Wed! HELP!
I had a first round yesterday (Thursday) and everything went well except when the interviewer asked me about their firm (the size, revenue, ceo). I didn't know anything... I tried to deflect saying that I truly wanted to work their because of X, Y, Z factors but I didn't know the names and numbers he asked me. He asked me a second time directly (do you know the CEO?) and I just I didn't know. Later on the way to the airport I sent him a thank you note on my blackberry saying that I did my research and the ceo was X.. and also included some relevant news related to the firm which I thought was interesting. I really felt bad that I wasn't prepared about specific facts on the firm.
This is my top firm I want to work with and I'm worried that I probably got dinged. I answered all his other questions perfectly. The interviewer knows that I have a lot of people gunning for me at the firm (5+) and that I have a brother that works there too.
Anyways, so I didn't hear back from HR today (Friday, had my interview late Thursday evening). The superday is next Wed, what's the possibility I got dinged? I'm wondering if I should call HR Monday or just wait. Reason i'm asking is last time I emailed sort of freaking out over nothing and I don't want to do the same thing again.
Also, if I did get rejected, how should I email my contacts at this bank? They all helped me a lot (edited my resume, mock interviews, etc)...
woman, you have a few days. relax. they'll probably give u a call on monday or tuesday. though I have to say not knowing their CEO, size, and revenue is kinda silly if it's a well known bank + ur top choice. hope that doesn't worry you!
uhhh the super day is wed in NYC, I am out of state - do you really think they are gonna call me Monday and just give me 2 days time to get to NY?
yep, cuz they know all you candidates are drooling over their filet mignon superday. they could call you one hour before the interview and you'd have your ass out on that airplane so fast... and still kiss ass. let's be honest here, u got no bargaining power and they can do whatever the hell they want.
ok - but seriously... you think i still have a shot after not knowing the ceo size rev? omg... it looked really bad on my part + super guilty right now. u think my email helped my case?
lol how would you not know this stuff for your top choice??
I had 3 other Super Days that week in a row - was traveling and really tired from lack of sleep and just couldn't recall even though I looked it up. I was also feeling dejected since I got rejected from my other Super Days...
Of course, these are all excuses, and I def. can't say to the interviewer so I'm asking you to not judge me and just give me some constructive criticism and what my next step / outlook should be...
any way I can still email or call up the interviewer and apologize? I already emailed him that note.
no, just let it go...what will happen will happen. if your contacts are really solid-try explaining it to them, and see if that can change anything?
I did drop them all a note that the interview went well except that one part when he asked me about the company facts. I just told them that at the time I couldn't recall the facts that X was the CEO (letting them know that I do know the information now) but I would keep my fingers crossed.
Like I said I already dropped the interview a note that I found out the ceo was X, and that it was interesting he was implementing X, Y, Z moving the firm forward. Not sure if that would be sufficient recovery - but since I haven't heard anything I want to analyze the situation before contacting my contacts AGAIN or calling HR (last time I freaked out over nothing)
they've probably made up their minds in the first 5 minutes of interviewing you. unless you really really screwed up... you have a shot given the 5+ people gunning for u + ur other perfect answers. it's forgivable, i just don't know how you played that question off.
u really think interviewers make up their minds that quick?
maybe not 5 minutes, but they know a bad egg when they see one. maybe later on you impress them, that could change their minds but on average first 5-10 minutes.
Yes, I would decide in 5 mins. Also, I would like people like you in my analyst class. Your inability to multi-task would get me one step closer to top bucket. Try telling your MD that you were too tired to look shit up. Just being constructive. ;)
Welcome to investment banking.
I never gotten that question before (ceo, size etc) but I mean from now on I'll def. be prepared. It's just unfortunate I had to learn from an interview with the top bank of my choice. anyways ANY WAY at all i can recover from this??
btw if it helps my situation any, I was the last interviewee, interview started right on time at at 4:00 PM, ended at 4:27 leaving 3 min for questions (not a lot of time), his flight was at 5:30 PM so he was just rushing through me… told me to have a safe trip back. I didn't receive a response to my thank you note either :(
i dont see what else you can do except annoy your interviewers with questions and/or explanations. For better or worse, whats done is done just as ari_king said...just relax and pray that you get a call on Monday (btw given that your out of state and superday is wed, I'd say your chances look slim)
just my 2cents
yea, that's what I figured :(
How the hell if this is your dream company do you not know the CEO. That's really really really really bad. Like someone else said, it's cutthroat as hell out there. Why would they even ask someone back who didn't give perfect answers. This is IBD, one screw up like that and you're dinged.
Actually I know a lot of people that work there and hang out with them... so for me it's REALLY about the culture and the people. This is for S&T btw, not that it matters - I know it's competitive as hell out there. I even know all the HR people ... I really do want to work for this firm and I know it's stupid I didn't bother to look up the facts about them beforehand.
So you can definitely hear back on Monday. Some times they only give you 48-72 hours before hand.
You should also know enterprise value of the firm.
NYChic, you are like most of women, never accept your own fuck up and try to find excuses (tired, airplane, bla bla bla).
You fucked up. You tried to be sneaky with banker when he asked you about financials. If you were honest, he might've not asked you about CEO question. He saw you lying and covering up, got pissed off, and asked you direct question. If this interview is for MM/elite boutique, not knowing financials is like whatever, but if it's BB, then idk what to say.
On top of that you had guts to email him the name of CEO. WTF? You had more chances of saving yourself by saying, "I am truly sorry for my own mistake and not checking facts, bla bla bla." There is a famous European proverb, "Even the sword dousn't cut the head of the one who confesses."
Either way good luck and don't dwell on this.
I wasn't maliciously trying to be sneaky... I was trying to save my butt but you're right I should have just apologized instead of emailing him the info afterwards.. trying not to dwell on it but it's going to be hard to let my contacts know I didn't even make it through first round.
How far in advance to firms usually inform you that you have been invited to a superday?
I got past a first round and was told to go to a superday the next day (
Not knowing the name of the CEO was a mistake, but emailing him later might have been a bigger one, what was the point of that ? Its not like it was a technical question that you later figured out.
Don't sweat it. It happened to me, but I impressed them with everything else. They understand your situation, and the decision was probably made up before asking that question.
But another point is if you are sorta ugly, you got dinged for sure. imperfection in looks u gotta make up for it in perfection of answering all questions.
x
My question is, what were you doing taking a phone interview without a computer in front of you to save your ass on questions like this? You really couldn't have found the wikipedia page with all of those metrics in under 5 seconds?
Lol.
Your top firm and you don't know the name of the CEO... This is ridiculous. I would give you a polite ding unless you were obviously a superstar, i.e. you also have an offer from the MAN Group and Jane Street.
As for the timing, they could call you the day before. Hell, I once scheduled a final round with Goldman Sachs at 8am for 11am.
If you're going to tell people they should know names at a firm, you should probably know which is which as well.
MAN Group: http://www.man.eu/MAN/en/ Man Group: http://www.mangroupplc.com/index.jsf
I don't see your point. I work with the "Man" Group frequently, mostly with people from AHL, so I know it's not a truck maker. There is a difference between capitalizing a three-letter word and not knowing the CEO of your dream firm. While you are foolishly pointing at what was likely a typo, I was actually telling the OP what I believe: that was a solid screw-up and deserves a ding. I hope he/she doesn't do the same mistake twice.
Not knowing the CEO is not the end of the world. Especially if you did well on the other questions technical and behavioral. I think you may have committed self suicide by emailing back the interviewer with the answer to the CEO question. He/She may have forgotten about it when it came time to discuss you but having the email now will always remind them that you did not have the answer to a question and that will be the only thing they remember. There is a lot of psychology involved in Interviewing.
best of luck in the future!
If you were phone interviewed last thursday and they finished interviewing last friday and have a superday this thursday. Should I be worried that I haven't yet been called back?
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