The Intern Turns 21: Getting Drunk With Your Superiors

Weird situation:

I turn 21 (in America) the Monday of the second week of my internship. My 21st birthday will likely come up in conversation, etc... but anyway, should I expect to go out and drink with people in my office or is that not a thing?

I'm clueless and curious. It's a boutique in Chicago.

Sorry if this is too stupid.

 
DickFuld:

If you are male, nobody should know when your birthday occurs.

+1. The fact that you're anticipating this scenario kind of worries me.

Above comment is void if you are a girl.

 

but yeah i have no idea how the corporate world works

i just figure people drink and shit all the time and i don't want to use a fake at a job

fuck i'm clueless

and scared

Make Idaho a Semi-Target Again 2016 Not an alumnus of Idaho
 

Like Dick said, no one should really know because you shouldn't advertise it and expect people to bring in cupcakes, take you out for 21 shots and make a big deal out of it but it'll probably come up among your fellow interns and maybe young analysts when they ask if you are/when you're turning 21. See if some of those people want to grab a drink that night if you don't have other friends in town. Maybe it'll leak up to the older guys and depending on the culture they may want to go out for a drink (like I said, don't expect anything big-unfortunately it's not 1986 when you'd get a booze filled night fueled with blow and ending in strippers) but it's not a "thing." I've had multiple interns/analysts turn 21 over the years and sometimes a few people including more senior people will go out, and sometimes not.

Personally I wouldn't want to go out for more than happy hour and get shitfaced on my 21st birthday with people that I just started working with 2 weeks before. You typically don't want one of their first impressions of you being wasted enough to puke on a chick you're trying to pick up. Unless I'm your boss. Then you just converted your internship into an FT roll and can go to the beach for the rest of the summer.

 
Best Response
Dingdong08:

Like Dick said, no one should really know because you shouldn't advertise it and expect people to bring in cupcakes, take you out for 21 shots and make a big deal out of it but it'll probably come up among your fellow interns and maybe young analysts when they ask if you are/when you're turning 21. See if some of those people want to grab a drink that night if you don't have other friends in town. Maybe it'll leak up to the older guys and depending on the culture they may want to go out for a drink (like I said, don't expect anything big-unfortunately it's not 1986 when you'd get a booze filled night fueled with blow and ending in strippers) but it's not a "thing." I've had multiple interns/analysts turn 21 over the years and sometimes a few people including more senior people will go out, and sometimes not.

Personally I wouldn't want to go out for more than happy hour and get shitfaced on my 21st birthday with people that I just started working with 2 weeks before. You typically don't want one of their first impressions of you being wasted enough to puke on a chick you're trying to pick up. Unless I'm your boss. Then you just converted your internship into an FT roll and can go to the beach for the rest of the summer.

I would add this: If you get completely sloppy drunk (starting fights, grabbing ass, puking, etc.) AND you are the first one in the next morning.....that will definitely catch everyone's attention. Being the first one in the next morning is crucial. Pretend like nothing happened. People will assume that's what you do everyday if you pull it off right. Even better if you actually do that everyday.

Work hard, play hard is something many say, but few do.

 

can i bring my slampiece into the office restroom from the bar at like 4am and then work intermittently/get head while cranking out a pitch deck into the next work day?

i've heard that successfully multitasking is very important in finance.

Make Idaho a Semi-Target Again 2016 Not an alumnus of Idaho
 

When I was younger I worked in a few places where it was a spoken challenge among the younger guys who could get into the office the earliest after a big night. Sometimes everyone would agree to throw money in for the winner. Other times the loser had to pick up the tab the next time out. One guy got a DUI because he tried to get in at 6 am and was still drunk from the night before. Oops.

Absolutely true though-you can get away with a lot being shitfaced if you're at your desk before everyone, doing work and acting like it doesn't effect you at all.

 

Start at Luxbar on Bellevue for some real drinks (not a party spot), then make your way to State Street. Check out all the bars, just make sure you spend some time at McFadden's. Get brunch the following morning at Tavern on Rush in the Viagra Triangle.

Have fun.

 

Welcome to the world of legally drinking! A rule about mixing drinking and work: it's either really good, or really bad. If you get sloppy drunk and make an ass out of yourself in front of colleagues/superiors, it's bad. If you get drunk with an MD and handle it well it's a great little bonding moment. Just make sure you're in the office before him the next day.

 

I am in a similar position. I turn 21 in a few weeks. My team asked me if I drank at an intern event and I said no because I am not of age. They asked when I turned 21 and then said they would take me out for drinks after I turned 21. These were all junior people on the team. I don't really talk about anything personal with my director or MD.

 

Illum ipsa harum harum culpa deleniti deserunt maiores. Omnis et magni blanditiis dolor. Soluta aut delectus error occaecati. Doloremque quia qui animi incidunt qui eius. Pariatur illum velit cupiditate distinctio est praesentium. Sint sunt odit doloribus ab.

Aut ratione recusandae porro recusandae ducimus. Mollitia aut nostrum fugiat aut. Voluptatum molestias iure repellendus totam esse qui eius voluptas. Officia voluptatem corporis ipsa dolorum. Neque voluptas qui labore. Explicabo ut consequatur reiciendis vel labore expedita.

Ad atque tempora blanditiis nobis suscipit voluptatem. Voluptatibus repudiandae explicabo quia aut odit. Magnam repudiandae reiciendis ab labore tempora. Ut dolor aut sit repudiandae velit suscipit rerum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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

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...”