9-408-011

NOVEMBER 21, 2007

SANDRA J. SUCHER

RACHEL GORDON

Differences at Work: Alex (A)

Two years after graduating from college, I interviewed for an analyst position at a prestigious,
well-known Canadian investment bank. A friend who worked there had gone through a lot of effort
to arrange the interview. I was thrilled about the chance to move from pension fund management to
working in mergers and acquisitions.

We began the interview with the normal pleasantries, but the pace of the discussion soon shifted
as the manager asked me the questions that my friend had warned me to expect. “How would you
calculate the value of a bond?” “What's the best idea you've ever had and how will you top it?”
“What is put-call parity?” “Tell me about a time you came up with an innovative solution to a
complex problem.” “Without using paper, what is 17 x 8.5?”

I felt pleased with my answers and began relaxing when the manager asked me, “Do you roll with
the punches?”

Not sure what he meant, I replied, “Yes. I work hard.”

He leaned across the desk and with a smirk said, “If someone made a joke about blacks?”

Even though the bank had a reputation for being very homogenous and “lily-white,” I couldn’t
believe that he had really asked such a question. I looked at the manager with a stunned expression.
Remembering advice my father had given me, “No one will ever penalize you for pausing to think
during an interview,” I leaned back in my chair, stared directly at the manager, and remained silent.

After what felt like a long time but must have only been a few seconds, the manager said, “Don’t
worry; you don’t have to answer that,” and quickly inquired, “What stocks do you follow?”

A couple of days later my friend called to let me know he had heard I would get an offer. Later
that week, I received the job offer with a salary two and half times greater than my current comp.
package.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Professor Sandra J. Sucher and Research Associate Rachel Gordon, Global Research Group, prepared this case. The authors are grateful for the
contributions of Professor Robin J. Ely and Robin Cherry Glass (MBA 2007). Some information has been disguised. HBS cases are developed
solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or
ineffective management.

Copyright © 2007 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685,
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This document is authorized for use only in Chhaya Wadhwa's PGDM 9.6.2019 at Apeejay School of Management from Sep 2019 to Mar 2020.