REPE failed drug test

So, it's that time of year, excited and highly qualified future SAs receive the worst news imaginable: you failed your drug test and we can no longer offer you employment.
Unfortunately, I am one of you. The most qualified of candidates who also happens to enjoy the devil's herb. My question is: What now? Do any firms hire this late in the year? Am I fucked? What would YOU do?
A little background: I have a decent GPA from a non-target, I had a summer internship in asset management, and another in CRE debt placement at a top shop (CBRE, C&W, JLL), I am completely capable of any modeling test thrown at me and I have an honest passion for CRE. But now what? Any advice would be greatly appreciated and best of luck to anyone else in my position.

 

The problem is the employers are usually older and they have grown up with their own impressions about weed. Weed has been illegal most of their lives.

The bottom line is, employers top concern is not whether their drug screening is screening for everything except weed, they have a lot of more pressing things to focus on. HR is in charge of this, and they are happy to get their pay check and go watch TV. No one except the lab probably even knows you failed for weed instead of meth.

Bottom line: get it out of your system and try another firm

 
want2bCRE:
It's in the past now, but apparently more than a month. Can't believe companies are still testing for weed when 8 states have legalized it.

Can't believe people fail drug tests when they know employers may test for weed.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

There are plenty of opportunities. Fortunately, unlike IB or corporate PE, the recruitment cycle in commercial real estate is much more unstructured. My firm hasn't even begun to think about interns. I interned at a top 10 REPE last Summer and I got my offer in March. Learn from your mistakes, don't get discouraged, and get back on the grind.

"Stay off the weed." - Stephen A. Smith

 
Most Helpful

I'm astonished that you can't have the self control to hold off smoking a joint for even let's say 3 months worst case (probably just 4 weeks) in exchange for the start of your top tier 20+ year god damn career. No offense but get it together.

This isn't a a weed should be legal or illegal debate or whether it should be tested or not. You know the rules, at least pretend like you're an adult, hold off, and then smoke as much as you want after you've locked in your employment. Hard to have any sympathy, but good luck.

 
banker2018:
So now I need to just stop smoking for like 9 months until I start?

In short, yes. This is big boy business and life isn't always fair. Is it dumb that companies test for weed? Of course. Is it far more idiotic to know this and not adjust your life accordingly? Well, it depends on what matters more to you - getting the job or smoking weed.

Has nothing to do with "republicans" or "the man" or "where you come from." Adjust your expectations accordingly.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

To be clear, the analysts I had talked to about it said it was in April for all of them so you could imagine my surprise when I got this early Christmas gift. But you have a point. two weeks clean (just because I don't smoke that often) just wasn't enough. Luckily things have a way of working themselves out when unemployment is sub 5%.

 

I couldn't agree more EnergyHOU . Legal in 10 states, plus DC (not 8) means it's illegal in 40. Also, as an applicant, you're definitely not in a position to rate an opinion on how the firm goes about testing. Shut up and color, if you want to play. Once you're in the game and have proven yourself, implement change from the inside. Otherwise, do a quick Google search for firms that don't test for weed and submit your applications there.

 
EnergyHOU:
I'm astonished that you can't have the self control to hold off smoking a joint for even let's say 3 months worst case (probably just 4 weeks) in exchange for the start of your top tier 20+ year god damn career. No offense but get it together.

This isn't a a weed should be legal or illegal debate or whether it should be tested or not. You know the rules, at least pretend like you're an adult, hold off, and then smoke as much as you want after you've locked in your employment. Hard to have any sympathy, but good luck.

tough but fair

 

you likely will have to find a well known local botique shop. Isn't the worst thing in the world either. A lot of graduate programs tend to want the top tier PE shops because they feel it's the only justification to all that time/money spent in school. However, there are tons of firms out there which are founded by industry titans and veterans who don't want to deal with the large corporate red tape, or for whatever other reason they wished to start shop. I find most firms that are small enough to not HAVE to drug test, often dont.

And not for nothing, and everyone can learn from what is surely a tramatic work experience for you, but any reason to think that you won't just fail the next one? There's a lot of obvious questions one could ask, but we can just skip all that...

Firms are always hiring - people come and people go. Think outside the "career day" type firms and you'll land fine.

 

If you consumed it in a state where recreational use is legal couldn't you fight this as you didn't break the law? I would just tell me you were recently in a state where it is legal. Obviously, this was dumb to fail, but worth a try.

Robert Clayton Dean: What is happening? Brill: I blew up the building. Robert Clayton Dean: Why? Brill: Because you made a phone call.
 

Even if it wasn't I don't think you'd be able to fight it because it's the company's policy - Not based on a law. Someone's drug consumption is not a protected status (i.e., like someones sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, etc.). Don't think it's ever going to be a protected status because again, unless there's a legit medical reason behind doing it, it's a choice someone is making and there's a legitimate argument for it being a detriment to someone's ability to perform a job.

"Who am I? I'm the guy that does his job. You must be the other guy."
 

OP, truth is you are NOT the most qualified candidate because credentials aside, you lacked the common sense to not smoke weed while recruiting. If you are not smart enough to take a year long break until you actually have a job; you aren't smart enough to be apart of most teams.

 

Best part is the firms buying warehouses like its nobody's business... I'm sure the fact that warehouse vacancies dropped a full 10% in Colorado following legalization had nothing to do with that strategy.

 

Honestly forgot about this after I posted it as I was firing off applications.

Update: got a position at a better shop. Thanks for the advice, and to the narks, keep on doing you, I'm sure you guys kill your fit interviews, you seem like a lot of fun to be around.

 

Do yourself a favor and try not to take anything in this thread seriously. This entire thread just gave me cock cancer. Your mistake really doesn't matter at the end of the day. It's in the past now. Learn from it and move on. It's your character that counts. Everyone fucks up in one way or another. Besides, most of the people in our industry do blow and solicit prostitution as it is. Shouldn't be hard to get into a decent place like Eastdil after a mishap like this. Just move forward. Good luck to you. You sound like a well put together person so honestly I don't think you'll have a hard time going forward. Just spend less time on here. Thanks.

 

What happens when you randomly are ask under a circumstance that is unlikely to randomly take a drug test during employment and you still have THC in your system....? You're screwed like anyone is actually going to be carrying clean urine with them 24/7 at work...? Don't get me wrong, love the herb, some people just don't think it can be in compliance with working with their firm.

"It's okay, I'll see you on the other side"
 

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