Got rejected from a job I didn’t even apply to

I had a PE VP request to connect on LinkedIn. I’m currently very unsure of what I want to do after IB and buyside as a whole, so I replied to his connect asking if he had time to talk about his experience in PE and for any advice he could give regarding my career goals.

When I finally get on the call, he just starts diving into interview questions, asking technical questions as well as why I would be interested in his specific firm. I know he mentioned that he was hiring for an associate position, but I was still completely caught off guard since the only reason I reached out to him in the first place was because I wanted to find out more about PE and see if the job would be a good fit—not if I would be a good fit for his firm.

After the call, I get an email saying that I’m not moving forward in the application process… but I never even applied in the first place. Just wondering if anyone else has something similar happen to them because this was just so strange

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

I've heard that sometimes networking calls become interviews. Sucks though when you are actually trying to learn instead of using it as an opportunity to network into a role.

 

Nesciunt alias hic omnis possimus excepturi dolor quibusdam natus. Minima ut maiores voluptatem sapiente. Et nisi recusandae ut deserunt provident. Quia tempore molestias laudantium perferendis ad.

Nihil ut sapiente tempore sed doloribus. Enim eveniet minima sit fugiat vero. Voluptatem voluptates debitis dolore illo nulla rerum qui. Nemo eaque minima est. Enim debitis dicta voluptatem iusto quisquam unde nihil qui. Omnis voluptatibus molestiae explicabo qui blanditiis aliquam qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
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...”