Turn down interview?

Hi. I have a second-to-final round interview at a good firm (think citadel/millennium). I've given it a lot of thought and I don't think I'm ready for a role like this yet. I know I probably won't get accepted anyway but I've thought about it and I will be doing a master's next year anyway so I won't be available for full time. I had accepted the headhunter communication because i thought "hey, why not give it a shot," but now that it's the second-to-last interview, I'm not so sure anymore. 

Would it reflect poorly if I cancel my interview on Monday? 

I don't know the process and I'm not even sure about what the interview would entail so if you would recommend going ahead with it I would appreciate any advice.

(i don't even know how to do a stock pitch man i think I'm just really screwed, even though I've had 2 hf final rounds before i don't know how i keep getting them when I'm clearly dumb as a rock)

thank you

3 Comments
 

Agree - use it for experience and treat as if you were serious. If you are lucky enough to get an offer you might find your mindset change when looking at the different opportunities.

Also, take this with a grain of salt but unless you’re going into a very niche area of study, most roles (even crap ones) at MLP etc may provide more valuable experience than a masters. If you’re going for long term higher Ed, I’ve seen folks break into fully funded PHD opps by forging relationships with academic researchers at an institution and doing a bit of publishing on the side to prep and get their names out. Anecdotal story of some bright folks I know in the CompSci area specifically.

 

Quidem mollitia cupiditate modi voluptatem dolores. Eveniet est autem in modi. Totam aspernatur veniam architecto sit. Omnis harum unde optio voluptatibus in. Excepturi vitae qui ut voluptas.

Neque totam iusto libero quisquam. Aut asperiores non eius rerum dicta.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
courses
Elite Modelling Program
We help you thrive in the most prestigious jobs on Wall Street Oasis
testimonials
What Students Say About WSO
We help you land the role or you get free tuition

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”