Bad Move To Ask For Travel Money For Interview?

Before I am ripped to shreds let me explain..

I have made the final round of interviews for a mid sized company in their sales department with an HQ in a big Midwest city about 12 hours from my college.

In the email saying that I had made the final round of interviews, the recruiter said that if I am not able to come to their campus I could do a Skype interview (it would be about 2 hours of Skype interviews). I have no issue with this, but plane tickets from my area would only be about $230 round trip. I would love to get to see the city, visit the HQ in person, meet everyone, etc. Would it be a bad move if I responded to the recruiters email asking (in a polite way) if they would consider purchasing a plane ticket for me to fly to their HQ and back? If so, what would be the proper way to introduce this idea in an email?

4 Comments
 

Did they recruit for this role at your college that is 12 hours away, or did you apply to role that is only being recruited for locally in a city that is 12 hours away - there is a big difference between the two.

If the former, they should fund your travel no questions asked. If the latter, then you could reasonably be expected to fund it, and they are being generous by considering a Skype interview.

In short, context matters a lot here - need some more to give a proper PoV.

 

Yeah, the Skype interview is very generous, which is why I am hesitant to ask for a plane ticket. Semi-recruit, the job posting was listed on my schools job posting website. They do not come to our campus to any employer of the days or career fairs.

 

I’d say it doesn’t hurt to ask for it. Just make sure you frame it right. You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You’d want to decide whether to take this job or not so meeting the team, visiting the office, and wander around the city could be a good way to get a feel of this opportunity. I’d be surprised if they would be oppose to this if you convey that you want to better understand/connect with the firm. If they say no, id say skip this opportunity as you’re probably just another number for them.

 

Eum ut nihil perferendis nesciunt dicta. Ipsam mollitia voluptates nam omnis ullam suscipit non. Magnam error doloremque et repellat. Sed tenetur odio excepturi cupiditate.

Earum quas et repellendus sunt est id amet. Accusantium et molestiae enim architecto.

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 (67) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”