Does being yourself and saying the truth in interviews pay off?

So I recently stumbled upon this article (cant post link) about an intern that did the contrary by mentioning salary/wage when asked why they wanted to work here. **- “I just want to work in a cool environment and pocket a nice wage,” I told one senior trader. He was stunned and at first I thought I'd blown it, but then he grasped my hand and congratulated me on being the first intern to answer the question truthfully."*

This made me wonder on whether if being yourself with people that have the ability to recruit you usually pays off? Such as replying similar to the above scenario?

I'm also a person that likes to make jokes and be relatable with people I talk to; so is it better to be yourself and treat the people at your desk as if they were your friend or would showing HIGH levels of respect and inferiority pay off better?

Second year summer interns are opening soon and I am keen on any tips you may have on securing the intern position and possibly converting it into a return offer.

response ETA? thx

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

the unhelpful but TRUTHFUL answer is it depends.

It really just boils down to the interviewer you are in front of. In short though, this shouldn't be your only reason, or the main reason you enter into banking. Everyone and their mom knows that bankers make a ridiculous amount of money compared to the average Joe, so saying that as an answer wont necessarily separate you from the pack and prove that you have pure intentions towards the job. It has more downside than potential upside.

As an example, in my interviews I was constantly asked what my short term goals were, and every time I was honest in saying that I have personal goal of getting an MBA within the next 5-7 years. While it is common for IBD analysts to exit towards an MBA, it can be perceived incorrectly in front of the wrong person. I have gotten offers from some banks using that as my answer and have been dinged a couple times specifically for stating that.

Even though it just depends I would caution you and advise that you stay away from saying that as it can cause more harm than good.

 

Cant say I'm a fan of telling them you want a "nice wage" and feel like more often than not that answer won't work favorably. However, I found that my interview results immediately produced offers when I began having more of a conversation with the interviewers and ensuring that I wasn't too casual with them, but rather maintaining a balance between professional and casual/friendly. As the above said, it depends who's in front of you, so having the social skills to read someone and understand what they're looking for in an interview is important for how you proceed

 

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