Drunk in an interview

Anyone tried drinking before going into an interview? I was thinking about it and thought to myself that I am a pretty smooth operator at parties/social events when tipsy, so why not try to get a buzz going before an interview to get the nerves off.

5 Comments
 

I think the worst part of being buzzed by alcohol in a professional setting or interviews is the slurred speech. You don't want that. Maybe you could have 1-2 drinks and loosen up, but not a ton of drinks as you will appear badly.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Most Helpful

The risk of drinking is that if discovered, it would likely end your chance right there; and if you show up to work drunk, you will likely end up fired.

I know of one case where the person (client facing role) showed up to work a bit drunk, was quickly sent home; then did it again, and was fired instantly.

Because word (apparently) spread about the potential risk that he might show up drunk, no firm would take a chance on him. Last I heard, he moved to the West Coast and found a job at some tech company.

Investor (30+ years); IB/RE/PE/Corp (MD level); currently, head of boutique private equity firm; principal of family office.
 
Funniest

Got high with my brother and SIL Thursday night. Somehow woke up Friday AM still high. Had an interview at noon, still not sober, so gave it my best and hope I hear good news next week lol. Started getting some accounting basics and was like fuck wasn’t ready for those. Oh well. Time shall tell

 

Facilis voluptatum enim exercitationem dolor mollitia voluptatem. Dolor et vel eveniet est quos earum doloremque. Voluptatibus et nulla dolorum nobis modi voluptatem.

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 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 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 (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (71) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”