Preconceived notions, self-fulfilling prophecies, whatever you may want to call it, is the antithesis of open-mindedness. Either way, it may be holding you back from your next great opportunity. As Investment Bankers, and yes I include myself in that group, we are very aware of what our competition may be doing, but are we really aware of what is going on within the sacred walls of our competition. You need investment banking recruiters that come alongside you for the long haul.
If a professional recruiter reaches out to you, and there are many investment banking recruiters out there who will, be open to listen, even if you think you know everything about that particular firm they are reaching out to you for. The investment banking recruiters, and other insiders, may know more about internal changes and new growth opportunities than what the street is aware of. Also, as a recruiter, it is my responsibility to only offer opportunities where I personally feel there can be a very good fit. A couple examples may make this abundantly clear.
First example, I am working with a team and when I mentioned one firm to them, their answer was an immediate no. I categorize that as a “reflex no,” so I continued at the appropriate time to ask questions as to why their answer was negative. After we chatted for a bit, it was apparent that their concerns were about certain things that occurred years ago. With the new management and leadership, the company is very different today. Second situation I am working with is an individual is creating a team and we were looking for a new home for him and his team. When I first mentioned a prospective firm, he did not believe that there was fit at all. Because of his trust in me, he agreed to an interview and after finding out all the facts, he is very excited about the future opportunity. The key was he trusted his investment banking recruiters to only bring him opportunities that made sense. Do you do the same thing?
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.