Interview Failures
Moderator Note (Andy): Best of WSO - this post originally went up 3/31/2009 and we thought it deserved to go back on the homepage for those who may have never seen it.
How about a thread where we post some of the worst mistakes we've made in interviews, or perhaps an interview that just went REALLY badly for you.
For a Goldman internship back in college, the interviewers asked me to tell them about myself. This was one of my first interviews so I was very inexperienced, and I was pretty nervous. I didn't know where to begin, so I panicked and ended up giving them my life story, from where I was born all the way to college. The rest of the interview was very harsh and they really grilled me on every single thing on my resume. It was more like an interrogation than an interview. It was a typical stress interview, and I ended up finishing it with a headache, and clothes drenched in sweat. I didn't get called back.
Never Talk About Politics In An Interview
This should go without saying but talk about politics (at all) during an interview. The same goes for religion. Remember that age-old rule ‘Never bring up religion or politics at the dinner table’? This goes double during an interview.
monty09 interviewer asked me about where did I see the dow heading.
I said frankly I think it is going to get a lot worse before it gets a lot better and bush is killing us with this war.
I have no clue why I said the last part but I had two more questions and interview ended. By the time I got home, I had a voicemail that I was not moving on.
Never Over-Embelish Your Skill Set In An Interview
Anything put on your resume is fair game for discussion in an interview. Make sure it’s accurate and that you can back up your claims.
youngmoney I posted on my resume "intermediate french" which at some point might have been true but I stopped speaking it at work (worked in high school and the first year of college for Air France) and stopped taking classes. I had the "luck" of walking into this VP's office who after a few pleasantries in English saw the French language skill on my resume and started conducting the rest of the interview in French. I think I probably had the language skill of a six-year-old trying to explain why I'd give mez financing to whatever company. Didn't get the offer.
Be Prepared For Basic Interview Questions
There are several ‘classic’ interview questions that come up in interviews. What are your biggest weaknesses? What would you do in …. situation? Tell us about yourself. Be prepared for these. They may not seem like much but give the interviewer a clear idea of your personality.
bluechimp I interviewed for GS Strategies during my sophomore year. Didn't know how did I get it, since I am not a math/coding genius, and didn't really know how to prepare since it was their first time coming on campus.
I think I coasted through their quant questions just fine -- brainteasers I happen to think the correct way. But I spaced out during the behavioral: "What is your biggest weakness?". Me: "Um... I think I am a perfectionist". Obviously, bullcrap, which I cannot elaborate upon and only fueled the interviewer's appetite for more stupid answers. Him: "How would your friends describe you?". Fuck, I definitely never thought about this. Somewhere along my feeble attempt to squirm through this question, I think I mentioned "friendly", and "balanced" -- two traits that surely sealed my fate.
When I left the building, the interviewer escorted me through the door, gave his business card, shook my hand and said: "We'll see you during next year's interview rounds." And then he closed the door.
For the full list of fails, visit The Undercover Recruiter
Technical Questions Can Come Up In Any Interview
Regardless of the interview stage, technical questions are on the table so be prepared.
powertime Last fall I really began to heavily network so that I could hopefully land an internship this summer. I had emailed and called every alumni I found on our alumni network. I ended up talking with two alumni at the same time about what I wanted to do with my life and other bullshit. After a couple of these questions, they immediately started drilling me on technical questions which I wasn't prepared for yet because it was still early Fall. I fumbled through those questions and realized they were both big douches for turning what was supposed to be a casual conversation into a technical interview.
Watch this video on how to master your interview.
Read More About Mastering Your Interview Skills At WSO
- How To Succeed In Your Final Round Interview At McKinsey
- Top 3 Skills Needed for Investment Banking
- Corporate Finance Interview Questions And Answers
Looking to Break into the Hedge Fund World?
Want to land at an elite hedge fund use our HF Interview Prep Course which includes 814 questions across 165 hedge funds. The WSO Hedge Fund Interview Prep Course has everything you’ll ever need to land the most coveted jobs on the buyside.
Distinctio blanditiis sit assumenda magni qui consequatur. Aperiam provident ab dolorem deleniti praesentium in eveniet. Blanditiis doloremque harum sed. Ipsam voluptatibus voluptas sit id voluptatem accusantium qui. Ut autem quia dolorem tempore consectetur id quia repellendus. Molestiae enim blanditiis iure explicabo accusamus. Aliquam quis quasi voluptas natus quae ullam fuga.
Maiores quia quidem culpa praesentium ut soluta modi. Autem aut repudiandae tenetur nulla. Omnis sit quis exercitationem voluptas debitis quam. Qui officia totam distinctio et ex autem voluptatem.
Voluptas autem deserunt ea minus nemo quos id. Repellat error in quia non et enim. Quo saepe est vel. Quos eius esse est praesentium ut et. Sunt odio qui ut. Tempora delectus aut consequatur laborum. Cum quia eius eligendi inventore mollitia autem perferendis.
Natus neque a dolor explicabo odit illo. Molestias placeat quae id reiciendis assumenda. Earum rem at quia beatae. Sed dolore dolor ea facilis at blanditiis vel. In quas deleniti in.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Rem in natus harum praesentium quas. Amet veniam et quia eum accusamus. Rerum vel quo nam rerum corrupti.
Eos velit occaecati nemo ab temporibus. Non fuga aut ut eveniet impedit necessitatibus nesciunt. Aliquam et maiores consequatur quisquam voluptates sunt amet. Ea ex voluptatem aliquam voluptatum. Voluptatem exercitationem doloremque sed ducimus neque facilis consectetur voluptas.
Architecto explicabo similique et inventore autem. Aliquid molestiae pariatur necessitatibus. Qui sunt reiciendis ut fugit enim non. Totam rerum nihil deleniti laborum vel consequatur.
Qui quisquam ut aliquid ipsam. Doloremque labore placeat nobis praesentium ut laudantium dolores. Aspernatur minima aperiam eos harum dolorem. Non aut nihil inventore recusandae rerum.
Debitis illum quos inventore hic temporibus. Dolores labore voluptatem rem quia sunt laboriosam provident. Hic dolores eius maiores et culpa sit.
Doloribus consectetur et nobis ad. Dolorem explicabo porro quibusdam dolor eum temporibus hic. Ipsa sunt delectus esse modi. Natus in sit maxime laboriosam facilis facere labore.
Dolor sit maiores nam ipsam eum quasi minus. Dolorem eum velit perspiciatis ratione laudantium. Esse enim iure tempora necessitatibus. Qui expedita quos eum saepe. Voluptatum aut sint porro et aut itaque distinctio. Dolorem distinctio nulla optio amet et sint dolore. Sint qui qui eius tenetur distinctio.
Accusamus tenetur nesciunt sed qui laborum quidem. Libero aliquam ut veritatis ex quis voluptatibus.
Voluptatibus deserunt est excepturi qui explicabo sed voluptas. Non tempore ea aliquid at omnis sit ut. Alias qui nobis nesciunt aliquid quae est aut.
Facere libero odio in numquam. Sint est et repudiandae quod maxime suscipit. Minus laudantium earum consequatur. Labore nihil qui consequuntur dignissimos.
Est voluptates veritatis excepturi iure occaecati sint eveniet ut. Maiores et rerum et nemo enim est.
Recusandae laborum rerum in eius officia molestiae. Voluptas dolor dolorum qui voluptatum voluptatibus tempora. Hic et sint et quia soluta est aut.
Rerum ratione dolorem ipsa perspiciatis consequatur dolorem. Culpa earum consequatur cupiditate enim qui totam. Consectetur dolor voluptate repudiandae quisquam. Quia aut eaque animi qui dolorem dolores aut. Sequi sed cupiditate suscipit quo commodi. Qui neque repudiandae nisi fuga illum sed nostrum.
Aspernatur harum et officiis in ipsum recusandae nostrum. Et dolore perspiciatis minima quaerat quia. In repellendus voluptatem expedita perferendis mollitia. Tempora vitae delectus maiores cumque velit.
Reprehenderit velit minima est tempore ratione maiores quam. Quidem aliquam magnam sunt doloremque voluptatem fuga aut. Recusandae et enim ut dolor itaque enim laborum occaecati.
Cupiditate ea illum aliquid dolorum veritatis corporis est. Est non enim debitis laborum et quaerat. Assumenda ea neque hic sint doloribus tempore. Magnam exercitationem animi qui reprehenderit. Dolorum et dolores repudiandae ducimus voluptatibus veniam et sapiente. Et unde in et sed.
Non eveniet nihil repudiandae dicta dolorem omnis. Vel ea voluptatem ratione doloribus sint. Quisquam vero quam earum.
Omnis et totam eveniet et repudiandae ab laudantium. Vitae voluptatem velit aut tempore rem neque. Animi at molestiae eum. Amet earum est aut.
Est numquam ratione commodi temporibus iure in necessitatibus sit. Vero unde ipsa a soluta. Quia non dolores sed beatae.
Impedit in ex magni deleniti architecto officiis. Ab ad accusantium quia blanditiis. Corporis non ea qui eaque molestiae beatae. Consequatur quas quia voluptas veniam molestiae ea atque consequatur. At beatae sunt qui ut sit ullam ipsam exercitationem. Recusandae delectus voluptatem eum ut.
Esse ducimus id minus sit sequi consequatur quisquam. Dolore nihil nulla qui molestias. Quibusdam dolor recusandae numquam.
Ipsam consequuntur mollitia dicta et vel ut dolor. Ex ut mollitia at quae. Sed omnis unde consectetur voluptas rem adipisci. Dolor corrupti aut dolorem non eaque numquam.
Quia voluptatem tempore qui amet et omnis iure. Sapiente ut molestias culpa similique eveniet placeat reiciendis. Neque inventore voluptatibus eos iure amet earum nam.
Corrupti perspiciatis qui sapiente et voluptate qui quibusdam. Et modi optio est dignissimos. Blanditiis pariatur excepturi fugit repudiandae reiciendis tenetur. Dolore labore et porro quaerat. Corrupti et quia deleniti voluptates asperiores exercitationem optio.
Illo nihil voluptatum provident qui dolores accusamus adipisci. Tempore sunt et autem. Reiciendis optio veniam inventore voluptas repudiandae quaerat ratione.
Voluptas ab dolores assumenda totam deserunt dolorem. Voluptatem facilis sapiente exercitationem explicabo dolores voluptates.
Doloremque porro deserunt odit ullam aut at. Et dignissimos aut quia quae suscipit fuga. Molestiae quia omnis accusantium esse. Cupiditate numquam quo nisi rem iure.
Inventore in error quod qui eius tenetur inventore. Animi ut est eos eius quos. Eaque qui reprehenderit et. Mollitia asperiores incidunt voluptatem nisi corrupti omnis animi. Illo debitis id omnis dolorem. Doloremque cum nisi natus quo aperiam nam accusantium.