These past few months have been terrible. I got laid off. I did tremendously well in two interviews, had the manager tell me I effectively have it during the interview and then I find out, that due to budget issues, they cant hire me. This firm is pretty reputable in New York and now they have budget issues?!?

Sometimes I would send an e-mail to an alum (to their work e-mail), and then receive a delivery failure notification. However, I'm pretty sure I got the e-mail right. My guess is that the person I'm trying to contact no longer works there.

When you look at LinkedIn, how do you figure out if the person's not there anymore? If they are almost 3 years into their analyst/associate program, is it a safe bet to say they are not there anymore (especially in the current economy)? Some people don't update their LinkedIn as frequently and I need to figure it out based on the information I have available.

I was "pushed out" of my pre-MBA consulting gig (and 1st full time job after college) at a well regarded boutique strategy consulting firm in July.

This was after only 1 year, allegedly because of "poor performance" even though i was "meeting expectations" at my reviews. The reality of the situtation was that there were no projects and hardly any new hirings and a bunch of people got the axe (including 2 other analysts and 2 post-MBA level guys shortly after I was terminated).

I was told that I can say "whatever I want" as to why I left the firm, as HR will only confirm my dates of employment if contacted and that I "left in good standing."

2 questions:

PM me.

Here's my situation:

I was laid off a couple months ago for reasons completely unrelated to performance (this could be verified by references). In fact, I was a top ranked analyst. Many of the headhunters have an older version of my resume which states that I'm presently working at the BB. I recently got involved with a process at a PE firm through one of these headhunters (went through 2 rounds, now working on an at-home case study, next round would be the final round), but have yet to voluntarily divulge the fact that I was laid off. I have absolutely no intention of lying during a background check or providing false information, but I clearly haven't been 100% upfront during the interviews.

Hey guys, Long time lurker here, created an account just to ask this question. I graduated in 2007 from a top 5 UG B-school (Think Ross, Stern) and joined a 2nd tier BB (Think UBS, CS). When the layoffs began, I proactively found a position at a small HF as an analyst. Unfortunately, the HF closed due to redemptions and I have been unemployed since August 2009.

Its been 4 months and I've had 3 in-person interviews but no offers. What should I do at this point ? I have 2 years of experience so I don't think I'm a good MBA candidate, nor am I particularly keen on getting an MBA. I know the market is rough so I have been looking at almost everything front office, not just in the US but Everywhere.

Hello,

I was laid off at the end of 2008. I was an analyst in a valuation group (think big 4/HLHZ) and have not been able to get an offer anywhere (except one that I decided to turn down because it was fairly unrelated to what I was doing before). I ended up getting an IB internship with a boutique firm because I figured I could still apply to FT jobs and also get some experience while I am at it. Would employers think negatively of someone out of school with a past FT job doing internships? I don't think there is much possibility of a FT offer at this place.

Okay, basically I passed the interview and got offer from a BB for a SA position, but got laid off recently. I am in a hurry to find another internship before my school ends. Here are my other choices:

1. MM IBD in HK
2. BB PWM in HK
3. Project Finance in a S&P 500 in the US
4. Sovereign wealth fund in an emerging market(one of the big ones)

I am an international student, my goal is to get in IBD in a BB after I graduate. US experience is invaluable for me, however, the only US company I can get is non-banking related S&P 500. MM IBD in HK is most desirable but probably too late to apply. SWF is confirmed, however is also non-IBD related.

Which one should be my first choice??
Thanks for your advice!!

So a few months back I was made a victim of the layoffs. I was a 2nd year analyst in sales. I've decided I want to go down the research path now as I hated sales. I have a good education behind me too (BA/MSc from targets) so I think I'll be a good candidate for a junior role when hiring picks up again. I've had a few interviews but it's really rough out there - I interviewed for an entry-level research role in investment management and they hired a laid-off Associate with 4 years experience.

Like many people, I have been laid off. I joined a well-known asset manager in Baltimore for an entry-level equity research job after graduating undergrad last summer. After a few months on the job, AUM fell, so they had to slash a large part of the workforce.

It's now been nearly five months and I still haven't even been close to getting a job, let alone landing an interview. I am writing to see if anyone has any ideas about how I can find something.

Here are the steps I've taken:

1.) Mergers and Inquisitions edited my resume and cover letter
2.) I cold called or sent letters to several firms
3.) I sent my resume to head hunters
4.) I've expanded my network and stayed in touch with contacts I've already made.

Hi,

I just got laid off, so need to get my resume and such in order. I haven't even looked at it since I landed my FT analyst position. I was at a MM boutique for one year.

Most resume resources relate to right out of college candidates. What should my resume look like after 1 year if I want to apply to IB and buy side jobs?

Can anyone direct me to a good resource, or offer any advice?

Thanks.

Hey guys.

To those who were laid off recently, where did you end up? Did you find another role in IB/PE/HF? Land in consulting? Went to Corp Fin? Still looking? I am interested to see where people landed and if they are enjoying their current endeavors. Are you seeing a new career path or just waiting till the blood is washed away and head back to Wall St.
Please speak on behalf of friends that you may know that fit this criteria.

If you landed in Corp Fin or other non-IB positions, were companies eagerly awaiting your acceptance?

Some of you may have seen my earlier post about not having any work to do.

Well just got laid off this afternoon, MM bank in HK, 08 Analyst.

I was laid off about a month and a half ago from a firm where I did mostly valuation work (DCF, comps,etc). I only had about 3 months experience and am having a hard time even getting interviews at this point. I feel like I have exhausted all my possible leads through networking and the only other thing I can think of is applying through online websites (career builder, etc), which I am doing but does not seem to be getting me any interviews either. Unfortunately, most positions through online websites want experienced people (usually 2+ years) at any position. I was just curious if anyone had any advice for my situation.thanks.

If you have found yourself in the seemingly unenviable ranks of the unemployed...think again.

While we are all looking for jobs, we are really looking to make money. Period. I am looking for a few good men (or women) to join me in an informal options trading group. My thought is that putting enough smart, driven people in the same room creates a fertile ground for profit and camaraderie.

Here's the deal: I trade options with a small portfolio ($25,000). Returns generated have exceeded 40% per month. Do the math, that's a decent living for having control of your life and on such a small investment. This is hard - I guarantee nothing. But if you were like me sitting your desk dreaming of a better life, this may be it. As for me, it's perfect but it's lonely while all my friends are at work til 9pm or later most nights and I am at the gym by 4:30pm and hitting up happy hours at 7pm.