It’s never a perfect fit. Whether it’s with your current firm or even potential next firm.
A strange way to start a blog that’s supposed to be optimistic and forward thinking, huh? If you’ve been a regular reader of mine, you know I tend to take the “high road” when it comes to the recruiting practice. Opportunistic hiring is my guiding practice. Why would I start off with a negative sentence rather than an extremely positive one? The truth is that in life there is never a perfect fit. There’s a good fit. If we’re lucky enough, there’s a great fit. If you’re looking for that perfect fit, let me be the first to tell you it does not exist. There are going to be annoyances at whatever firm you choose to go to or conversely stay at. You must determine if these annoyances are significant enough to either make you want to leave your current firm or prevent you from entertaining new opportunities.
Are The Annoyances Enough To Look Elsewhere From Your Current Firm?
Let’s address the first point. If your current firm feels like these annoyances are growing/becoming more significant, then you need to take a deep look as to if they warrant you looking elsewhere. Many times I will receive phone calls from people who have said to me they can’t manage the annoyances anymore. Give them a week or two, those same annoyances are on the back burner. It is the goal of every recruiter to come as close as possible to that perfect fit knowing that in reality it will never occur. The last thing you want to do is disrupt your career path that is getting you where you want to go. If you are dealing with these annoyances, I ask you to seriously reflect on the crux of the issue. Ask yourself if these annoyances truly warrant you looking for new opportunities. If they do, you need to share the real reason with a recruiter (or in the case you are dealing directly with the hiring manager) why you are now looking. The days of not communicating the exact reason you’re leaving need to end. Years ago, candidates never shared their true perspective because they felt as though they were giving up bargaining power when it came to their compensation package by being reflective on their reasons for leaving. No longer should you be concerned that your reason will be correlated with the compensation package.
A Match Made Close To Heaven Because Of Opportunistic Hiring
If you are going to take the time to “kick the tires” from your current firm, you need to know exactly what you’re trying to remedy. One of the big questions I receive when I’m taking on a new client is, “How can you represent so many public finance or law firms and still not share numerous candidates with numerous firms?” My philosophy has always been that each firm has its own individual culture. It’s up to the recruiter to ascertain the needs of both the candidate and the client so that the opportunistic flow will work. The candidate knows they have an exclusive with my hiring firm, and the hiring manager knows he has an exclusive with the candidate. This process only works if everyone is open with the real reasons the candidate is looking, and the firm is potentially thinking about hiring. Therefore, knowing exactly what these annoyances are and how they can be mitigated or removed completely is paramount.
Your Mindset & Honesty Is Crucial – With Your Current Firm Or Potential Next Firm
The second part deals with the mindset about your current firm or prospective firm. If a firm is introduced to you, do not let your current annoyances be a reason that you do not look at new opportunities. What does that mean? Simply that you fear that the new firm will present those same annoyances, and thus you will be right back where you started but will have another name on your resume. This is something we want to avoid. Knowing your annoyances with your current firm can help you do a much deeper dive on those concerns when doing your due diligence with a prospective firm. In conclusion, no there is not a perfect fit, but being aware of what is causing it not to be a great fit is crucial for you moving on successfully.
Conclusion
If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at [email protected]. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. You can find our listing in the “supplier and services” section of the Red Book under the title of “executive recruiting.”
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 levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.