Public Finance Blog

Life At The New Firm

Matching a candidate to a client company is not a perfect science.  On paper and through the interview process, everything looks great between candidate and the new firm; however, sometimes with the greatest intentions, it just does not work out for one reason or another. To no one’s fault, it’s simply not the right fit.  So, what’s to do?

Money, Money, Money

The first thing we should address is how to financially protect the parties: the candidate and the new firm.  If you have received any sort of upfront money, either a signing bonus or a long-term financial commitment secured by a promissory note, you are committed legally to have to pay that money back if you leave the first month or the first year (or even later).  The term of your note will dictate how long you must stay to keep the money.  Therefore, we always recommend that you never spend any of your bonus money that can be clawed back prior to at least six months.  We have found that you will know if it’s the right fit within six months of new firm engagement.

Communication Will Always Be Key

Secondly, non-financially is communication.  It is crucial to have ongoing conversations with your team manager at your new firm and your recruiter (if you used one) if you feel that something is just not right.  There is nothing worse than determining it’s not the right fit without trying to fix the situation.  Ask yourself, “What has changed from what I perceived and expected?  Was it a miscommunication or were my expectations too high?”  It doesn’t matter the reason, but it does make a difference if you harbor these thoughts internally and never express them.  You owe it to yourself and the process to talk it out.  You put a lot of time into the hiring.  We have seen that by having these conversations early, things can be smoothed out when everyone shares post-hiring expectations.

Can You Get Hired Again? 

After this, if you still decide it was the wrong employment choice and leave, realize your reason for the quick exodus will have to be conveyed: simply why you are leaving to look for another firm.  Expecting to get hired immediately after just being hired is not impossible, but it will take finesse on your part.  Sharing what went awry is not always going to be easy, especially if it was for personal reasons and not platform-based reasons you left.  Craft your response to reflect what really was not right, but do not make it about the management of the new firm.  That won’t be received well.  I know the content of this blog may be strange coming from a recruiter; but yes, like a marriage, divorce can happen, and we want you protected when things don’t go 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 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. We have also been mentioned in Forbes this year, click HERE to read more.  

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.