Posted on 06/28/2006 by the cynic
Viewed: 558 times
Quote from the article:
"A fellow B-schooler (not from Wharton) was interviewing with an asset management group. Three interviewers had him corralled in a conference room. One was peppering him with questions, the second was making snide remarks, and the third was staring out the window, apparently uninterested in the student's nervous answers. The interview, which hadn't gone particularly well, was almost over when the interviewers dropped a statistical brainteaser, something to the effect of "If there are three drawers, one with 70% red socks, 30% blue socks, yada, yada, what are the odds of you pulling out a matching pair?"
While we didn't win the Wharton Women in Business flag football
championship, my teammates gave me the rare opportunity to
relive my high school glory days and once again demonstrate, to a
crowd of female onlookers, my complete lack of athletic prowess.
The women who saved me from my own gaffes, from left,
Amanda Kramer, Jessica Walbridge, Nettana Samroengrajam,
Bonnie Goldsborough, and Alexandra Whelan.
As the student stumbled through the logic, the interviewers began harassing him, with one interviewer actually giggling at the student's torment. Unlike many interviewers who actively help interviewees when they have trouble with a question, this trio gleefully worked to increase the student's misery. Finally one said, in an unmistakably patronizing tone, "You seem to be having trouble. How about a pen and paper?"
All three tittered as the student bashfully took the paper and continued to struggle. After another 90 seconds of scribbling and abuse, he finally burped up an answer that was, of course, completely incorrect. All three laughed, and one guy began the traditional "Thank you for interviewing with us, best of luck, yada, yada" speech.
The student, dead as Marley, slowly rose to leave, with the continued giggles of his interviewers serenading his exit. As he got to the door, he stopped and turned to the interviewers. "Hey, guess what, I have a probability question for you."
The interviewers, all quants, looked at him eagerly. "Okay," the student began, "let's say that in this whole company, 10% of the employees are jerks, what are the odds that all three guys in this room are jerks?"
The laughing stopped. The interviewers stared at him drop-jawed. After several seconds of silence, the student looked at them compassionately and offered the goods in his hands. "It's looks like you're having some difficulty, maybe a pen and paper would help."
As one interviewer, still pie-eyed, took the paper, the student smiled, said, "Thank you for allowing me to interview today, best of luck in the future," turned, and walked out the door.
Needless to say, he did not get an offer. It should also be noted that he used a slightly more colorful word than "jerk", but that was probably obvious."
POST A COMMENTDharmadee(06/29/2006)
I am sure the student was thrilled NOT to get an offer from these tools. However, on a personal note, I highly appreciated the description, "Dead as Marley", and will be using it in the future!
jmushu(06/30/2006)
that is so funny, yet annoying at the same time. Annoying because it's true, people do get off on making others nervous instead of really finding out who would be the best candidate. I had something like this happen in an interview...but that's another story.
twiz (06/28/2006)
This is great! Like something out of a movie... =)
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