So I have been scheduling a lot of informational phone interviews and coffee chats this summer with analysts through directors/VPs. Overall, they have been going very well.
However, the phone call I had today didn't go so well. Whenever I would ask questions, the responses I got were always very short. I made sure to ask open ended questions and to leave a lot of room for them to add detail, but almost every answer I got was no longer than a sentence.
After a few questions from my end, they asked me a couple of questions (why i-banking, why xyz division/group etc.) I thought I gave very well though out answers for these questions. However, in response I would just get "okay" or "uh huh."
I tried to relate to them, but it seemed that my attempts to make a similar connection/similar interest were either ignored or disregarded.
The call was initially scheduled for me to learn more about their experiences in a certain group. However, it seemed like they only talked about their experiences for less than 1-2 minutes.
Overall, the phone call really rubbed me the wrong way. But I am confused, since this is the first phone call I have had that seemed to not go well. All of the other calls I have had with the same firm went very well and I connected very well with all of them.
I guess, I am wondering if any of you have suggestions/advice on what to do. Is this just a one time thing/maybe I caught them on a bad day? Or do I need to take a step back and change the way I am networking? (I feel that with my previous success, changing anything isn't worthwhile for 1 bad phone call, but idk)
Have any of you had similar experiences/phone calls that just didn't go well?
So, was it a phone interview or networking call..? I feel your title and paragraphs are very contradictory.
it was a networking call, but it turned into an information interview
Make them talk about themselves. You will usually find something you both have in common, thus making the convo less awkward.
the call w them should be 25 minutes of them talking, and 5 minutes of you asking questions/following up
but yeah this sounds like a one off event, don't worry about it, next one will prob be better
seconded
dont worry about it, sometimes it just happens. remember that these people are working ridiculous hours, he could have just been not in the mood to talk to some random kid today because he had a million things to do. You cant win them all
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