Fired for Coffee Chatting

I was a MO/BO intern at an investment bank, where I had coffee chatted with 2-3 FO Analysts halfway through the internship program. I talked about it with our Internship Program Lead (Not my manager) by chance, and the next day I was notified that I was terminated due to "Underperformance". A few days later, my line manager told my other intern friends that I was fired due to "Compliance" issue.

I know I could do nothing as I was only an intern, but I just wanted to know if I did anything wrong and how should I bring this up in my future interviews? I will put this down on my resume as the brand name is not bad and my resume lacks experience.

11 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know:

  1. Understanding the Situation:

    • Reason for Termination: It appears there might have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication regarding your coffee chats with FO Analysts. The official reason given was "Underperformance," but your line manager mentioned a "Compliance" issue. This discrepancy suggests that the coffee chats might have been perceived as a breach of protocol or internal policy.
    • Compliance Concerns: In many financial institutions, there are strict compliance rules about interactions between different departments, especially between front office (FO) and middle/back office (MO/BO) roles. It's possible that your coffee chats were seen as a potential conflict of interest or a breach of these rules.
  2. Addressing the Issue in Future Interviews:

    • Be Honest but Tactful: When discussing this experience in future interviews, it's important to be honest but also tactful. You can mention that you were proactive in networking and seeking mentorship, which are generally positive traits.
    • Focus on Learning: Emphasize what you learned from the experience. For example, you could say that you now have a better understanding of the importance of compliance and internal protocols.
    • Highlight Positive Aspects: Mention any positive feedback or achievements during your internship. Focus on the skills and knowledge you gained.
  3. Sample Explanation for Interviews:

    • "During my internship at [Investment Bank], I took the initiative to network and seek mentorship from front office analysts. Unfortunately, I later learned that this was against the company's compliance policies. While this led to my early termination, it was a valuable learning experience. I now have a deeper appreciation for the importance of compliance and internal protocols in the finance industry. Despite this, I gained significant experience and skills during my time there, which I believe will be beneficial in my future roles."
  4. Resume Tips:

    • Include the Internship: It's still valuable to include the internship on your resume, especially if the brand name is strong and your resume lacks experience.
    • Focus on Achievements: Highlight any specific projects, skills, or accomplishments during your internship. This will help to present the experience in a positive light.

By addressing the situation honestly and focusing on the lessons learned and the positive aspects of your experience, you can turn this potentially negative situation into a demonstration of your growth and resilience.

Sources: Good questions to Ask in Coffee Chats for Investment Banking, How One Student Did Coffee Chats Right - Received Offer From A BB, How One Student Did Coffee Chats Right - Received Offer From A BB, Blew a Coffee Chat..., Bad networking experience - MD/Partner - coffee chat - went wrong?

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

Totally disagree with this. You should be allowed to talk to whoever you want. We have zero idea if OP was crossing any wall with people on private or public side. Could very well be a MO person speaking to an S&T person. But in any case - even if OP was MO and spoke to an IB analyst, there’s really nothing wrong with that. There should be zero exchange of MNPI as the IB analyst should not share any info nor should the MO person be seeking any.
 

Question is: what did OP talk about during these coffee chats and what did OP tell the internship manager? Something sounds a little off here.

 

I only talked to S&T analysts and I mainly asked about career advice, job duties, company culture, etc. I did ask about the possibility of shadowing them which they told me to ask my internship manager as they cannot make the decision.
I then asked the internship manager about it and told him my coffee chats to show my interest. He told me he will try to arrange something at that moment. A day later he asked me how did I get to know the analysts and I told him I messaged them through teams.

 

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