Making any sort of change in one’s life is always painful. Whether it’s painful leaving the past behind, or it’s the pain of predicting the future. Nowhere is it more painful than when someone is deciding on a change in their economic future. Well, maybe “painful” is not the right word exactly… more of emotional stress. But most candidates I work with put themselves under more stress than they should be. To quote one of my candidates that I am working with, “It’s too much emotional equity to make a move to another company.”
So what is one to do? Forget the process and stay where they are. Even though they know there are better opportunities around the corner, or maybe you need to manage the emotional equity and not spend it all at one time. What exactly am I referring to? Most candidates invest too much of their time when they are going through the process of interviewing to determine if this is the right place for them. Do I want to make a move to this company, etc? I am not saying that this is not the endgame, but what I am saying is that candidates are getting to this point too early in the process. You should only be thinking about: do I want to take this next meeting that is being asked of me? Not do I want to leave my current position and move to another company today.
By focusing in on the next step, you can see clearly the process. You get to do your due diligence slowly, one step at a time. Most of the time candidates are asking of themselves if they want to move to another company – and they do not have all the facts. So wait till you have all the facts. For example, you have visited the firm in question, you have a very good feel for the compensation package that is being offered, and you know that they want you as much as you want them. Then, and only then, should you invest the emotional time to determine if this is the right career move for you. By taking one step a time, you can handle the emotional ups and downs that inevitably come with making any change in your life.
About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all level Public Finance Bankers, Health Care Bankers, Municipal Financial Advisors, Compliance Officers, FinOps & Bond Counsels. He can be reached at [email protected] or 760-477-1284.