Public Finance Blog

It seems that recently another trend has been surfacing: long-term bankers and bond counsels are asking themselves a specific question.  “Am I being challenged enough in my current position or am I being held back in some ways that cannot actually be measured (but it’s a feeling that I am getting)?”  If this is you, eventually this can make you wonder if you can do more under a different platform.  

New School Of Thought

It started with the senior bankers and bond counsels but it’s spreading to lower-level professionals.  They don’t want to be pigeonholed.  They want the ability to expand their roles and develop faster and further as bankers and bond counsels.   Professionals that you thought would not even entertain the idea of making a move are now contemplating one.  Tenure does not mean as much as it did years ago.  The new thought is, “If there is something that I perceive to be holding me back now, then I want to look at new positions and see what else is out there.”

Am I Challenged Enough?

The calls that I am receiving and the individuals who are responding to my outreach are asking themselves that question.  The content of the call goes something like the following, “I’ve been at my current firm for [x] many years. I’m happy here but I want to know what else is out there that could challenge me even more.”  This is not the conversation of the complacency that I’ve discussed in past blogs.  This is a genuine desire by bankers and bond counsels to do even more, make more money, to learn something new, and the underlined theme is I want to build even more.  The sentiment radiates, “I feel like there is more I can bring to a new firm.”

The Undercurrent & How Hiring Managers Should Handle These Candidates

Now don’t get me wrong, they are not all moving, but they are all questioning their current position.  Why this is happening?  I believe it reflects what’s going on in our world today – people are questioning and challenging everything.  And this carries into peoples’ current employment status and position.  With all the changes that are happening in our industry daily, senior and not-so-senior bankers and counsel want to personally assure themselves they are in the right seat.  So, they are taking interviews. During these interviews, if they feel there is a greener pasture they are engaging.  However, they must truly see a better path because if they don’t, they have satisfied themselves they are at the right place.  If you’re a hiring manager fortunate enough to be chatting with one of these possibly discontented individuals, don’t wait for a second or third interview to truly show the opportunity you are presenting.  Come out guns blazing in that first interview with the full picture, as you will only get one chance with this type of candidate.  Let us help you find that next professional for you – that a challenge is waiting for!

Conclusion

You don’t need a resume to chat with us! If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at harlan@hfriedmansearch.com. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Harlan publishes a blog every Thursday here. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. 

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.