“There is no such thing as a perfect fit.”
This is an interesting and hopefully thought-provoking sentence. In today’s world, there is no such thing as a “perfect fit” anymore. As we all know, the days of going to work for one company and retiring are gone forever. What does that mean as it relates to candidates making job changes? What does that mean as it relates to hiring a candidate? It means exactly that—they know now that there is no such thing as a perfect fit.
Lifers
The day of hiring a candidate and staying at one firm for their entire career is indeed a rarity today more than ever. That’s not to say there are not some die-hard individuals out there who have devoted their careers to a single firm. Some exist in either the public finance or the bond counsel world who have never left their original firm from when they either graduated college for a banker or law school for an attorney. Actually, you would still be surprised that I do indeed find lifers! However, the lifers are wondering if they stayed too long at their current position now. Recently, lifers (as I affectionately call them) are starting to question that same thought. The day of a firm being concerned that a person has moved around a bit is also waning. This is especially true today when we look at what just happened with some of the big names. As I stated in previous blogs, it was just an exchange of seats, as more of the displaced bankers are finding new homes.
Your Mindset When Entertaining A Job Move
What does the phrase “there’s no such thing as a perfect fit” mean when it comes to entertaining a job move? The answer is that the mindset of the candidate who is thinking about making a move is no longer dead set that this has to be the right fit. It also allows the candidate to refrain from thinking that they are going to retire from this firm. Candidates are telling us, “It could be the right fit, and I am willing to try it out.” This is especially prevalent when hiring a candidate who is a millennial that is known for not staying put too long. Their attitude to a job is, “I will get what I can get from this position and move on so I can excel in my career path faster.” We always recommend that a candidate should not even contemplate a new move for at least five years at their current firm; however, this advice seems as if it is not being adhered to lately.
Making It All Right
With the attitude, “It does not have to be all right; I can always move on,” firms are trying to get it all right now more than ever. Retention at a firm costs a firm more money than the salaries they wind up paying due to all the other increased costs surrounding hiring a candidate. They really do want to make it all right. Although the candidates don’t need perfection, our clients are trying to make it all right. They are doing a great job of putting the pieces together for a new candidate. They are taking more time in the hiring process and ignoring that the candidate does not think it has to be all right, but they do, which is what is so important. Even though the candidates’ mindset is open for lack of perfection, our client firms are not, and that is what makes it even better to go through the hiring process today. Let us help you find the right home where it is all right.
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 [email protected]. 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. We have also been mentioned in Forbes, click HERE to read for yourself.
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.