How to Deal With Rude/Asshole/Disrespectful Interviewers?

Not overreacting, well played on your part. Would avoid working there if at all possible, sounds like a snake pit.

Wow, this is incredibly bad. Shit man, I don't know what I would do, but following the question as well

Gotta eat shit with a smile on your face in these circumstances. Any chance that he was testing how you’d react? I’ve heard some stories from my buddies at nontargets where MDs would act the same way during interviews.

Which group is this? Excessively rude and unprofessional

This interviewer guy is obviously delusional and thinks he's some kind of Albert Einstein for believing that the industry is only for "the best of the best". His most important skill is probably overinflating DCF projections and providing comments about logo's being aligned in the middle rather than to the left.

All jokes aside, if you dont get invited for a follow up interview, write an anonymous complaint about this to HR/seniors/even CEO outlining how this person treated you, that you felt he was abusive or discriminated you because you are from a lower/middle class. If this guy has treated you like this, he's definitely done this to others. People in this business understand how important PR is these days. Nobody wants insecure narcissists such as your interviewer working for them and ruining their name. Chances are he'll get warned/first strike or maybe even out on his ass if he's done this before. All this may not get you an offer from this firm, but it sure as hell will feel good.

I've been in a situation like yours, non target, no experience and was looked down upon for every internship that I applied to, untill I was finally given an opportunity thanks to an awesome interviewer for a lmm pe firm, which I then converted into a MM IB intership then leveraged those two internships to get a BB IBD offer. Remember not to give up, all you need is to get your foot in the door, and internships will become easier to land after that. Make sure to keep your head up, continue to apply as much as you can, roll your dices and you will land that first gig. Best of luck!

He might had an unpleasant experience from your school alumni in the past. Seems personal and vindictive.

Could be your nontarget school alumni interviewing him back in the day when he was applying for jobs/internships and taking a jab at his background, like "Wow I didn't know people from [Target school] can't answer this simple XYZ question".

1) (It's stupid but) It could be a test to see how willing you are to overcome adversity to get the job. For example, maybe they were doing it so you'd have to really sell yourself and convince them you know you are the best of the best, while not being defensive or offended by the statement. I completely disagree with doing it in this manner, but could be a tactic and I've had something similar happen to me before. In a live setting, let your confidence shine through and offer evidence against the point. For example, if they say something bad about your school, point towards something else amazing that you've done and argue that the example is even more important for being successful in the job. However, do not say the statement is a quality point - it's BS. You can say, I realize my school may not be the best, BUT..... Then, after you sell yourself, just move on with the conversation. Bankers will like people with self confidence. 

2) I wouldn't want to work with someone like this, so you could: i) progress with recruiting and hope you don't have to work with them, ii) recruit, get the offer, and reject it citing the person that made the statement iii) withdraw your application citing why. If I were you, I'd continue recruiting so long as you don't need to work with them.

Id ask him whether that's a general view at this place and if so, why u were invited in the first place? Then I'd stop wasting my time there.

I'm willing to bet that this guy is either very early in his career and hasn't seen the multitude of different ways people end up getting into finance gigs. You'd be amazed at some of the moves that are made at the later stages of a person's career. You'd also be amazed how much money can be made outside of banking for way less effort. Respect to the guy for being successful in taking the conventional route when most fail to do so, but he sounds pretty clueless when it comes to ways of doing things outside of his own narrow focus.

If he's VP level or higher, he's a complete clown.

I had the exact same thing happen to me in an interview once, and they ended up giving me the internship offer anyway.  I do think it might be a psychological thing wherein interviewers try to see how you react under pressure, but that doesn't make it any less of an insulting statement.  As someone else mentioned, keep your head up, OP; you would be surprised just how many people are successful in finance beyond the traditional target school background.

What was your GPA/major?

Okay so yes the interviewer was an asshole.

I think you handled it well.  I think you can handle it even better if you are more prepared for this sort of objection in an interview next time. 

When people see my resume, they see The University of Illinois and Princeton. (There was also five years of work experience between undergrad and grad school.)  I tell folks that I went to the best damn school in the country-- UIUC.

There is a gentle point to be made here about having a diversity of backgrounds coming at the same idea.  And you're not going to get that strictly hiring from H/S/W.  Google doesn't hire strictly or even a majority from H/S/W either, and they hire the best of the best.  Same with NASA.  Same with many of the hedge funds and prop shops.  So perhaps there is a very gentle point to make here that the best firms hire the best people, wherever they come from, and it is often the ones with insecurity issues that only hire from certain schools.  Perhaps if they're not confident that they're the best, nobody ever got fired for buying IBM and nobody ever got fired for hiring from HBS.  "But here is what I bring that I think you need that the Harvard kid does not have."

And as you refine the pitch, you will tone that first part down-- hopefully before your first interview, and you will flesh out and emphasize the part in bold from the last paragraph-- what you bring to the table that the template hire does not.  But that rub against them is an impetus for the thrust of your point.  Hiring only from elite schools might be a very small mark of insecurity on their part, and a lack of belief in their brand or the product that they are trying to deliver.  It tells you that, if they really believe that they should only hire from certain schools, they are worried they don't have credibility with clients or investors or whatnot, and perhaps they are a little worried that their reputation does not stand on its own.  That their brand is H/Y/P, not Lazard or Goldman or Bridgewater or whatnot.

It's a very very ginger dance that you have to make, without dumping on their preconceived notions.  Sometimes it's easier after you've worked in the industry for a little bit.

I always see that point as the opportunity to make the sale to a skeptic.  In fact, sometimes it's a test.  How good is this guy at selling stuff? 

So for example, I will talk about how UIUC outranks the Ivies in CS and Engineering and whatnot and how UIUC Engineering ought to be a target for S&T and QR and Technology internship programs.  And how it's yes, hire the MIT guy, but if you've got a room full of MIT and Stanford and Harvard guys, you need a smart guy from UIUC or Berkeley or UT Austin in there too.  At a minimum it's a stopgap against groupthink, but often the UC Berkeley or UT Austin guy has two or three questions that will result in a better answer.  

Here is the point.  You went to this school.  You have to believe in yourself to a certain extent in order to sell yourself and to get the job.  So think of something that you can offer that the template hire can't offer.  Or think of something that you're really proud of about your school that H/Y/P does not have.  And try to work that into what this particular firm either knows it needs and wants, or might not realize it needs or wants.  That's sales.  And if you can sell your non-target to some H/Y/P/S/W guy who is acting like a douche, you're probably good enough at it to find a job somewhere in finance, simply in a pure sales gig somewhere.

Happen to me countless times. Just move on and continue to network and grind. Nothing much you can do at this point.

To be honest I would have respectfully called him out and ended it there. This is not acceptable. There are basic rules of decency in life, no matter what “hardcore” finance people tell you.

"I AM the best of the best."

When I was interviewing for SA out of undergrad, I had the worst interviewer I've ever had to this day (the bank shall remain nameless). I was at a target, but the interviewer, who was a second year analyst, all interview was saying I would never be in their group. He said I would never be a "cultural fit" and said he knew my type, had me pegged from my resume and LinkedIn alone. On technicals, I got them right and put in extra detail to prove myself but he kept finding some BS nit with my answers each time.

I smiled and awkwardly laughed whenever he was an asshole but I just walked out thinking I'll never work there. Shockingly, the next week they called me for a superday when everyone else turned down their offer. I had my superday, they offered me the job shortly after, and I turned it down because I had gotten another comparable offer that morning and would have only joined as a last resort. I never told them how awful the guy was, but friends who interviewed with him had the same experience. Somehow he has remained there and is on the verge of VP.

In my experience, the most incompetent and wanting professionals love to talk about how only certain schools prepare you for the real world when in reality an Ivy League 4.0 student likely isn't prepared.  

Unrelated, but people who tout their MBA tend to be the most overconfident and underperforming in the industry as well.  Congrats on paying six figures for a network.

Similar story - interviewer asked me "tell me about Michigan/Ross, I am only familiar with Wharton"...I was like, dude are you serious? Ross is at least a semi-target

lol, semi-target here:

interviewed for a FT on a rates desk at WF, female VP:

'talk me through your CV' 

*I did*

'do you have any experience in rates?'

'no'

'well what the FUCK are you doing here then?'

Having been quite a while out from when I was networking as a total non-target student, I was appalled at what your interviewer said. But then I remembered my first interview in finance which was with a credit risk guy at Citi for a non-IB role and he completely let loose on me for not being from a core Citi school (ie. non-target school) and how I had no business interviewing for roles which were "reserved" for more educated folks. Honestly if people bring up and shit on your education then fuck them. They have no business commenting on that and doing so just validates their superiority complex.

After the experience I mentioned above, I went through several IB interviews as was never once questioned on the quality of my college education but rather the usual ropes IB candidates are faces with. Most people at firms worth mentioning won't treat you like shit for having gone to xyz school. Never accept that kind of behavior

Acknowledge it, but then respond with something that highlights your accomplishments/qualifications. Also, this is why I'd recommend reaching out to senior bankers who went to non-targets for undergrad. Some of the best bankers went to random undergrad schools. If they like you and put in a good word, 99% of people won't say shit to you and it helps so much with getting an offer. Similar situation happened to me with a few analysts all at the same bank. 

Good job. You played it right.  Clearly if way too many people are assholes at that company, then maybe cross it off your list (or take the job if it's your only option and put in your 2 years knowing its a platform to spring elsewhere).  But just remember in life you're going to face assholes anywhere you go. It's an unfortunate reality.  Politics can get way worse once you move up, so try to keep a thick skin and make people like you... it's always a good thing when even the assholes say "yea, but he's a pretty cool guy".... As long as you also keep people in check if they threaten you when you're higher up.

douche for sure, even if he was trying to test how you would react. If I was in that situation, I would probably respond something along the lines of how there are people who never finished school and dropped out to start their own industries and are making multiples of what your entire team would ever would. Then after that, wait a couple seconds to see his reaction then hang up. Turn the table back on him!

. 

Holy shit, what an ass

You think that is bad? Trying smiling and keeping your composure when your getting that kind of response from a no name firm in your industry. 

I would say your reaction was appropriate. I had a similar situation at Ford Motor Company while on an academic scholarship that Henry Ford Foundation funded lol. I understand that the university I was going to wasn't prestigious and the group I was interviewing for recruited from Ivy, just sort of comical for a guy to miss that. 

Your school (any school) must have a handful of highly successful alumni. School name didn’t stop them from becoming successful. Or perhaps one of the executives that this firm advised for went to your school. Keep a handful of those names in the backpocket and d-bag’s scum level question is an easy kill. If I were chirped in this way, I wouldn’t hesitate to fire back with facts knowing with complete confidence that I will not work for this d-bag for any price. #self-respect #fuckschmucks