Interview Stories

Interview Horror Stories: The One With A Happy Ending

A little alcohol can be your friend.

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Interview season is rapidly drawing to a close (which is, conveniently, dovetailing with offer season), and we have just a few more fun stories to tell.

This tale posits an interesting thought experiment: what would you do (in the context of an interview) if you knew you had nothing to lose?

I had a number of OCI interviews, but was “wait-listed” by one particular firm.  None of their interviewees dropped out, so I didn’t get an actual interview on campus.  They did, however, invite all of us (including the wait-listed ones) to a local restaurant for appetizers.

I thought, “what the hell.”  I went.  All of the people who got interviewed were drinking iced tea and soft drinks.  I sat down at the end of the table and ordered the first of many gin and tonics.  I figured I had nothing to lose, so I might as well enjoy the open bar.  Several partners from the firm arrived and I struck up a conversation with them.  We huddled together away from the interviewees and got fairly hammered.  It was fun, and I didn’t feel the need to put on a show since I wasn’t even interviewed anyway.

The next day…. I got a callback interview at the firm.  A callback without even a first interview.  Interviewed with several of my drinking buddies and received an offer (which I eventually turned down in favor of another offer).

I guess sometimes drinking at firm events and acting like you have nothing to lose pays off.

Indeed. It just goes to prove the cliched interview advice, “just be yourself.” And, also that alcohol really does provide the social lubrication necessary. Just be warned, a little too much of the demon whiskey at a firm event and you could wind up in the pages of Above the Law for entirely different reasons.

Have a terrible tale to tell about an interview gone awry? Please send it our way by email, subject line “Interview Stories.” We’ll read all the submissions and share our favorites in these pages.

(And remember, as we’ve previously explained, “The ‘horror’ in ‘interview horror stories’ is loosely defined. Stories that are somewhat embarrassing or mildly amusing will suffice.”)

Earlier: Interview Horror Stories: Interviewing With An Emperor
Interview Horror Stories: When Ambition Goes Too Far
Interview Horror Stories: When Tragedy Strikes
Interview Horror Stories: How To Respond To A Raging Racist?
Interview Horror Stories: What Was She Thinking — Er, Drinking?

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