Are you looking at other opportunities?

The interview is going well and then the question "Are you looking at other opportunities/What fields/Firm specific" comes up.

How much does one share? Do you tell of other jobs, what if they aren't the same type of position?

I am two years into a job at an asset manager and just anxious to learn so the firms I am looking at and speaking to are all over the spectrum from more asset managers to private equity/hedge funds and research.

Looking for some feedback

19 Comments
 

You should always say that you are focused in one particular field. Saying that you are looking around indicates you don't really know what you want to do, which is a bad thing in the eyes of the interviewer since it means you are not really serious about the job you're interviewing for. If you are interviewing for ER say you are only looking at ER jobs or if you are looking at HF say you are only looking at HF.

 
bearingYou should always say that you are focused in one particular field. Saying that you are looking around indicates you don't really know what you want to do, which is a bad thing in the eyes of the interviewer since it means you are not really serious about the job you're interviewing for. If you are interviewing for ER say you are only looking at ER jobs or if you are looking at HF say you are only looking at HF.

In other words, you should always lie?

 
bearingYou should always say that you are focused in one particular field. Saying that you are looking around indicates you don't really know what you want to do, which is a bad thing in the eyes of the interviewer since it means you are not really serious about the job you're interviewing for. If you are interviewing for ER say you are only looking at ER jobs or if you are looking at HF say you are only looking at HF.

I've found that talking to ER shops its best to say you want to stay ER but given the employment environment if they wait too long on an offer the buy-side offer isn't off the table. Especially true if you are already sector specific.

 

I'm not a pro when it comes to interviewing or anything else that is considered valuable on this site, but my gut says to just act like you're all in on whatever career you're interviewing for.

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 
wolverine19x89I'm not a pro when it comes to interviewing or anything else that is considered valuable on this site, but my gut says to just act like you're all in on whatever career you're interviewing for.
yep, safest bet
 
Best Response
prospie
wolverine19x89I'm not a pro when it comes to interviewing or anything else that is considered valuable on this site, but my gut says to just act like you're all in on whatever career you're interviewing for.
yep, safest bet

No. If you're interviewing with Firm X, Y, and Z that are all competitors or even better firms than the one you're talking with right now, you say that. But you also say that these guys are your top choice. Finance guys are whores, and if they're your prom queen don't hesitate for a second to tell them you're getting handjobs from her best friends. She'll just want you more.

If you're interviewing next week with GS, MS, and BX, by all means DO tell the JPM guys that, but make sure you emphasize that not only is banking the only career you're looking at, but JPM is definitely your firm of choice. You could hate JPM and it could be a total fall-back, but you tell everyone the same thing.

Remember, you're an actor, but you don't want to seem canned. You're full of shit, but you can't sound like it.

 

I was asked in one MBB interview which other companies I applied to and answered honestly that I was also in the recruiting process with the other two. Since the firm I had my interview with is by far the smallest of the 3 in the region I applied to, they did not like that answer. I was told later that they had not been sure if I had accepted the offer in case they had given it to me. So they picked someone else instead.

 

I agree with BH. Also, not to jack your thread Dez but I have a pretty similar question. Looking for some advice, though I usually consider myself pretty good with these type of situations.

I graduated and started work about three months ago. Got my second-choice job, and I'm really happy with where I'm at. But one of my dad's former partners emailed me two weeks ago asking if I was still looking b/c he randomly heard that I was in the CFA program. The opportunity he presented in the email was unreal, and looked essentially like a fast track to where I want to eventually be in HF / AM. Only problem is that it is an immediate opening, and would require me to quit my analyst role where I basically just started.

I was expecting to pretty much tell the guy that I couldn't leave for at least another year and that I'd reach out then. But, I met with him for coffee yesterday and went from six to midnight the more I heard about what he was looking for. Admittedly, I was uncomfortable approaching it because I didn't want to convey that I was totally ready to jump ship and happily abandon my team at the first sign of a better opportunity. Have yall ever been in a situation like this? How did you approach it?

For the record, my city is very tight-knit business wise. Word travels fast, and anyone who is anyone knows each other. Obviously I'm tempted to just say screw it and pursue what I want to do, but my moral compass is going haywire. If I leave, my team will be massively screwed over having to retrain someone. No doubt about it. But the opportunity is time sensitive, and won't last two days if broadcasted through a headhunter or recruiter. I was also put in my current role by a headhunter, who will forfeit a big portion of their commission if I leave. In this case, it seems no one wins but me. But if I proceed, I win big, and it really begs the classic question.... is greed good?

 
CaRI agree with BH. Also, not to jack your thread Dez but I have a pretty similar question. Looking for some advice, though I usually consider myself pretty good with these type of situations.

I graduated and started work about three months ago. Got my second-choice job, and I'm really happy with where I'm at. But one of my dad's former partners emailed me two weeks ago asking if I was still looking b/c he randomly heard that I was in the CFA program. The opportunity he presented in the email was unreal, and looked essentially like a fast track to where I want to eventually be in HF / AM. Only problem is that it is an immediate opening, and would require me to quit my analyst role where I basically just started.

I was expecting to pretty much tell the guy that I couldn't leave for at least another year and that I'd reach out then. But, I met with him for coffee yesterday and went from six to midnight the more I heard about what he was looking for. Admittedly, I was uncomfortable approaching it because I didn't want to convey that I was totally ready to jump ship and happily abandon my team at the first sign of a better opportunity. Have yall ever been in a situation like this? How did you approach it?

For the record, my city is very tight-knit business wise. Word travels fast, and anyone who is anyone knows each other. Obviously I'm tempted to just say screw it and pursue what I want to do, but my moral compass is going haywire. If I leave, my team will be massively screwed over having to retrain someone. No doubt about it. But the opportunity is time sensitive, and won't last two days if broadcasted through a headhunter or recruiter. I was also put in my current role by a headhunter, who will forfeit a big portion of their commission if I leave. In this case, it seems no one wins but me. But if I proceed, I win big, and it really begs the classic question.... is greed good?

You should always look out for yourself first.

Think about it on the flip side, if your firm needed to let somebody go would they keep you just because "they felt bad"?

Granted, it can be hard to leave a job, especially if you just started and if you like your team. However, you still have to look out for your best interest. If you pass up your dream job, don't you think you'll be kicking yourself for it? I know I would be.

 
CaRI agree with BH. Also, not to jack your thread Dez but I have a pretty similar question. Looking for some advice, though I usually consider myself pretty good with these type of situations.

I graduated and started work about three months ago. Got my second-choice job, and I'm really happy with where I'm at. But one of my dad's former partners emailed me two weeks ago asking if I was still looking b/c he randomly heard that I was in the CFA program. The opportunity he presented in the email was unreal, and looked essentially like a fast track to where I want to eventually be in HF / AM. Only problem is that it is an immediate opening, and would require me to quit my analyst role where I basically just started.

I was expecting to pretty much tell the guy that I couldn't leave for at least another year and that I'd reach out then. But, I met with him for coffee yesterday and went from six to midnight the more I heard about what he was looking for. Admittedly, I was uncomfortable approaching it because I didn't want to convey that I was totally ready to jump ship and happily abandon my team at the first sign of a better opportunity. Have yall ever been in a situation like this? How did you approach it?

For the record, my city is very tight-knit business wise. Word travels fast, and anyone who is anyone knows each other. Obviously I'm tempted to just say screw it and pursue what I want to do, but my moral compass is going haywire. If I leave, my team will be massively screwed over having to retrain someone. No doubt about it. But the opportunity is time sensitive, and won't last two days if broadcasted through a headhunter or recruiter. I was also put in my current role by a headhunter, who will forfeit a big portion of their commission if I leave. In this case, it seems no one wins but me. But if I proceed, I win big, and it really begs the classic question.... is greed good?

Turn them down and send them duffmt6's way.

No but in all seriousness. Apply, interview, ask good questions and then make a decision. If everything is as it seems and this is your dream job, fuck it and bounce. Just make sure you stay at the new gig for a while.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

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