Not really sure what to do in this case and seeking advice…
Background
Recently had a second round interview for a banking position, originally arranged with 4 directors of the group
2 of the directors (including the group head) had to cancel last minute but 2 of them still sat down with me (lower level directors)
I believe all or most of the other interviews conducted with other candidates would have been with the 4 directors
Generally I think it went well but my concern is that because I only sat down with 2 of the directors and not the group head, it’ll affect my chances of getting to the next round. Essentially I only get to rely on 2 people’s opinions instead of the 4 that other candidates would have gotten which I find is a little unfair.
I’m thinking of reaching out to the group head to express my interest but I’m worried about appearing too pushy.
Something to the tune of:
By means of introduction, my name is _________. We were supposed to meet on ________\ __but unfortunately you and _______ were unable to attend. I was able to sit down with________and ________ and it was great learning more about the________group. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get a chance to meet but I really wanted to express my interest in the Analyst position. If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to ask and I hope we will get a chance to meet soon.
I wouldn’t email the directors- you don’t want to risk them misinterpreting something- especially if they’re senior. Here’s what I would suggest:
Send a thank-you email to the directors you did meet.
Email your HR contact thanking him/her for setting everything up and emphasizing how much you enjoyed meeting everyone. Mention that you would look forward to meeting the directors who weren’t able to make it if that suits their schedules. Let the HR person contact the absent directors to see if they’re interested in meeting you.
This shouldn’t affect your chances- if your interviewers liked you, they’ll call you back in to meet the others.
In the future, I would avoid using this type of phrasing as it makes it look like it was the their fault. It very well may be their fault, but no sense in pointing that out, especially goes if they are senior to you.
I would definitely email everyone that you met with - even if they are senior. Just send some basic email like the one below (there is zero risk). For other thoughts on how to master the banking interview - look here: http://tapwage.com/cheatsheets/2015/06/22/how-to-ace-the-finance-interview. It’s part of a series of articles written by an investment-banking analyst that just went through the interview process. The other parts of the series are here:
How to Recruit into a Finance Job from a Non-Target School
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday and briefing me on the opportunities within the Retail Products group. It appears that there is great potential for growth and to add value to Morgan Stanley. I would welcome the opportunity to be part of your team and look forward to hearing from you.