Biggest Interview Response Regret

Hey everyone! With interviews still going on, I was wondering when you have been interviewed, what response do you most regret giving? Did the interview ask something that really took you by surprise so you fumbled for an answer? Or was it something that just slipped out of your mouth? I think it's inevitable that we eventually answer a question in a way we wish we could've changed later on. If you had the chance to relive that interview, how would you change your response?

25 Comments
 
"Kobe123358"I was wondering what answer to an interview question do you most regret?

Question: Can I have one of your business cards?

Regretted answer: Sure, here you go.

That just unlocks a load of over-earnest thank you e-mails in my inbox.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 
"QatalystV2"

you asked for bcards I'm assuming?

No. My last real interview was many years ago. The response I regret is handing my business cards over when asked by candidates.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 

BB S&T internship interview question: who is our CEO? Me: fumbled for 10 seconds, he gave me the first letter and I got it.

I don't think its possible to blow it anymore than that. Was my last interview of 6-8 on a superday... crushed every one until then. Thankfully got waitlisted and an offer eventually, but only after one of my other interviewers went to bat for me big time.

 
Best Response

Case interview. Asked enough questions to be given a sheet with data (necessary next step in the case). Interviewer scoffed under her breath, threw the paper at me without looking at me.

This isn't cool. The interviewer may think I'm a bad candidate, but there are minimum standards in courtesy. There is no way I'd want to work with someone who's going to handle group work this way.

My mistake: NOT getting up and saying "thank you for your time, but I will be withdrawing my candidacy," leaving the room, and signing out of the interview center. I regret not showing some minimum dignity and refusing to be insulted that way. I was just a little too shocked to react. If this were about handing over divorce papers, I'd get it and expect it, but even my BB S&T interviews with quasi-autistic a**holes were more civil than this.

The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.
 

Good company interviewed me on campus for a role I didn't want after I had spoke with them numerous times about the role I did want. Was a bit too caught off guard and didn't assert myself as to what I really wanted because I didn't want to blow my chances with said company. Really should have just spoken up at the beginning. Far more awkward now.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

Would have been even better had you pulled up your sleeve to show a massive zip code or area code inside of an outline of your state tattoo

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

hahaha dude you rock I would love to post something like in the newspaper letting know HR people how useless they are. however my CV would directly go to the garbage for any job if I do hahhaha

 

Q: Why Real Estate Investment Banking?

A: My uncle is a Real Estate Dealer.

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

Yes, but this wasn't only the start, this was also the end, lol.

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

BB Equities Interview: Interviewer: "What's the most frustrating thing/hardest thing to deal with as a part of Student Council?" Me: "Bureaucracy, Bureaucracy, Bureaucracy." Interviewer: "You know this is a huge financial institution with over 60,000 employees...?"

 

MM SA interviewer: What group interests you? Me: Capital Markets Interviewer: That's not the group we're interviewing for

 

1st job interview in high school I asked what the pay was. Auto-DING! One of the better interviews I had was at one of the restaurant chains (olive garden, chili's, etc.) and the person interviewing me acted like he was the chairman. I promptly decided to answer every question with a random answer. Fun experience that I would recommend everyone else do for a meaningless job they're not interested in. Do you have any food service experience? Me: That's NONE of your business. Why should we hire you? Me: Blue. How did you here of the job? Me: Broccoli. Any last questions? Me: How much do you weigh? (Guy had to be 300+)

 

F500 known for promoting from within, interviewing for a Corp Fin internship: Where do you see yourself in a few years?

Naive freshman me: Well my dream is to run my own business, so if it works out, perhaps start my own company right out of school grin

I cringe when I think about that now.

 

Et dolores voluptates laboriosam voluptatem odio sed. Qui ut nobis voluptatibus ut neque. Quas assumenda consequatur quisquam odio sint veniam.

Eum est cupiditate corrupti veniam consequatur. Illo esse quasi qui aut quod cumque sed. Autem et dolorem minus. Reprehenderit a quis repellat ab.

Autem magni labore temporibus fugiat qui qui cupiditate. Tempore illo ratione tempora. Excepturi architecto illo consequatur est consequuntur in. Vitae quam sequi qui nesciunt ullam occaecati delectus molestiae. Et ab rerum et minus. Quibusdam ut repudiandae error explicabo. Alias ut velit tempore deserunt.

 

Aliquid deserunt odit sunt qui perferendis exercitationem. Voluptas dolores ea aliquam. Quod atque nemo tempora aut. Labore unde aut exercitationem perferendis dolore.

Quibusdam quo pariatur fuga perspiciatis quia. Illum est sit ut quo perspiciatis provident. Corporis iusto eos repellat. Tempora quod velit minima reprehenderit dolorem quis reiciendis.

Soluta quia sed tempore voluptatibus earum. Qui tempore quia odit pariatur itaque omnis. Est non soluta saepe quos necessitatibus expedita. Molestias quo cumque vero voluptate esse minus nihil. Vero et non accusamus sed quasi temporibus eos.

Laboriosam ducimus totam harum consequatur iste. Omnis deleniti autem sit optio. Optio a nulla repellendus voluptates nihil temporibus voluptatum quos. Autem iure voluptates perspiciatis quas odit illum totam. Qui magnam aut sunt ipsa sed quo. Aspernatur ad architecto recusandae doloribus architecto repellat.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • 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 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 11 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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

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...”