Blew a Coffee Chat...

Hey monkeys. I just wanted to vent about a "coffee chat" I had recently with an Associate at a boutique firm.

Some background, I'm a recent STEM grad living in NYC and have been trying to network for a possible off-cycle hiring. I don't have any strictly relevant IB internships under my belt, so clearly have to hustle for what I want. I've had 1 interview for corporate banking that went well, but other than that I haven't gotten any bites.

Continuing the story, I reached out to the individual, who's not an alumni, and asked for a coffee chat. The first two times I proposed didn't work out but we were able to finally meet today. I got there about 10 minutes early and waited for the person to arrive. As they walked through the doors I saw my resume in their hand; I instantly knew this wasn't just an informational chat about the firm and industry. My palms got a bit sweaty and my knees felt heavy. It ended up being a full blown interview and I dropped the ball on some of the technical questions that were asked... They were generally basic technical questions, with 1 or 2 tailored to the specific industry vertical the firm is in.

I'm pissed at myself for not keeping sharp with my technicals and blowing that interaction out of the water. It's certainly a wake up call for the need to be 110% on myself for recruiting, especially off-cycle.

Also, the damn coffee shop wasn't serving so I didn't have anything to parch my dry mouth.. So much for coffee.

Any of you ever dropped the ball on an interaction?

26 Comments
 

I'm sure all of us have messed up more than a few times.

I certainly have. Just get back at it, send out more stuff today instead of re-living it.

Array
 

Yes. Thank you. Came here to ask if on the surface, he looked calm and ready to drop bombs.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

Every time you make a mistake, acknowledge it and make an effort so it does not happen again. It’s important to realize each mistake gets you closer to where you want to be.

It’s a numbers game, kind of like a funnel, continue to hustle and reach out to people and do not become discouraged.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”