I came out of the interview feeling good, believing I’d get an offer. I made the MD laugh and answered his questions well while wearing a nice plaid suit without a tie.
However, I received feedback that I was overly confident and underdressed for the final round of interviews for an investment sales role. This surprised me, as confidence and being personable are important for the job. I haven’t worn a tie in 2-3 years as its ties have become less common (in my opinion) and felt I took the interview seriously.
Prior to this, they indicated a date for the offer and a start date. The outcome was a complete shock. Any thoughts on this feedback? I’d appreciate unbiased opinions.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, your situation highlights a couple of key takeaways about final-round interviews, especially in investment sales or similar roles:
Confidence vs. Overconfidence: While confidence is crucial, there’s a fine line between being confident and coming across as overly confident. The feedback suggests that your demeanor may have been interpreted as too self-assured, which can sometimes be perceived as arrogance or a lack of humility. It’s important to balance confidence with a tone of respect and curiosity, ensuring you don’t unintentionally overpower the interviewer.
Dress Code Expectations: Even though ties may be less common in some industries, investment sales and other finance-related roles often lean towards traditional professionalism, especially in final-round interviews. A plaid suit without a tie might have been seen as too casual for the occasion. When in doubt, it’s safer to err on the side of formality, as it demonstrates respect for the company’s culture and expectations.
Pre-Offer Indications: While receiving a tentative offer date and start date can be encouraging, it’s not a guarantee. Final decisions often hinge on subjective factors, including cultural fit and how you’re perceived by senior decision-makers like the MD.
Suggestions for Future Interviews:
It’s a tough outcome, but use this as a learning experience to refine your approach for the next opportunity. Good luck!
Sources: The Best IBD SA OCR, Interviews and FT Offer Conversion Posts on WSO, Bottom buckets: Where are you now?, The Best IBD SA OCR, Interviews and FT Offer Conversion Posts on WSO, Interview nerves, 6 Tips To Boost Your Confidence And Nail Your Next Job Interview
I don't understand why it's not already broadly understood that there's asymmetric downside on interview outfit. Just go get a plain dark suit, white shirt, black belt / shoes, simple tie, and done. You cannot go wrong. Google "Investment Sales Associate Linkedin" and you basically get 100x versions of the same person. Copy that.
Being overconfident in investment sales can be a risky thing. Contrary to popular belief the job isn't being an alpha male, making aggressive sales calls all day. It requires a high EQ. It's more about putting yourself out there, having thick skin, being good at connecting with many types of people, not being the centre of attention, being a good listener, understanding the needs of others, etc.
All that to say I have no idea why you didn't get the job, wasn't there to see it happen.
This is true. I was genuinely very calm coming into the interview. I feel like I’ve built up the experience and relationships to lateral into a higher position within this role and I just honestly didn’t have the nervousness like I used to. I think I got too comfortable during the interview which caused me to come off as overconfident. Hard lesson on learning that there’s a balance between nerves and being comfortable in interviews.
I just had a process where I was such a good fit for this PE role due to my background. I killed it during the interviews, nailed both the case studies, and thought I did super well during the behavioral interviews too. I really drank this firm's koolaid, watched their podcasts to talk about why I wanted to work there, and I got really positive notes from my thank you emails.
Then they didn't extend an offer and the HH told me that the feedback was that I was very polished and great work product but they didn't feel I had demonstrated enough commitment. There was nothing else I could have done IMO short of sucking their dicks.
I've had other super days which I thought I did really well in that didn't convert because maybe I lost out to someone who just stood out more - that happens, and it is what it is, but this one I truly did everything right.
This shit sucks so much.
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