When are you supposed to stop using stories from college?

Hey guys - currently in the midst of my first job after college at an Asset Management company (graduated spring 2017). Not exactly the experience I was wanting it to be, and am thinking about moving to entry-level real estate private equity, economic consulting or capital markets groups at banks in the cycle starting this winter.

My question, which I hope can help other people in the first few years after graduating: when are you supposed to stop answering behaviorals with stories from college, eg. from classes or extracurriculars? "Tell me about a time you failed, worked well in a team, had to perform under pressure, etc." I ask because 1 or 2 years at a slower-paced job with few other coworkers may not give a wide range of experiences that you can use to answer these questions compellingly. At what point is it inappropriate to keep answering with stories from college? When will interviewers will expect you to draw from only your post-grad professional experience? Half a year to a year in, do you think interviewers will be expecting a mix of stories from college and my full-time job?

Thanks all.

1 Comments
 

Eos ullam perspiciatis maiores quia magni et. Et vitae nesciunt consequatur pariatur aliquam. Quia facilis quasi id repellat quo et. Libero qui quas rerum fuga numquam sit et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Guggenheim Partners No 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (23) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (81) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”