Advice on Temporary Employment
Hello Everyone,
My mentee recently sought my advice on a career dilemma, but I feel unqualified to provide a solid answer. I’m hoping to get some insights from this forum to avoid giving them potentially misleading guidance.
Here’s the situation: they are in the final stages of interviewing with a middle-market M&A bank, which isn’t their ideal choice. Currently, they’re employed in a corporate role but are holding out hope for another firm that they consider their top choice. Unfortunately, the process with that firm has been moving slowly. During their last conversation, the firm either implied that they’re taking their time or might be cherry-picking from a large pool of candidates—which, while frustrating for my mentee, is understandable from the firm’s perspective.
My mentee is considering accepting the offer from the M&A bank as a short-term solution while waiting for the top-choice firm to finalize its decision. This leads to their main concern: if they were to leave the M&A bank after only a few months to join their preferred firm, would this brief stint raise any red flags during a background check? Specifically, could it become an issue if the top-choice firm learns about this short-term employment after initially believing my mentee was only focused on their process?
I’m curious if anyone here—or someone you know—has navigated a similar situation. If so, did this short-term employment create any problems with the hiring manager or during the background check? Or is this typically viewed as just another part of the hiring process and treated as a formality?
Thank you all!
I don't know the answer to your question but I will say a team at my firm has run a similar process. It took them TWO years to find someone they liked. Obviously they weren't in a hurry but who knows how long it will take.
Have they already had interviews with the top choice? If so, why don't they just mention the offer and try to expedite the process? Doesn't always work but if they interviewed them already and liked them enough, they'd likely be willing. If not, I'd assume that person, regardless of whether they should or shouldn't be, is not in the running as a top candidate. I could be totally wrong but just speaking from experience. Open to correction.
Thank you! I am trying to be encouraging to them, and doing my best to keep them calm and take it easy every day.
Yes, they are on second round with their top-choice. They are confident that they will get an offer with their 2nd-choice. The tough part is they are currently working and then will have to quit to work for their 2nd-choice, hoping that things will go well with their 1st-choice.
I have never pulled a move like this in my entire life, so I have to be frank...I sorta admired my mentee's courage.
If I were in their position, I would present the situation to their top choice and make a call beforehand whether or not they would be willing to reject their 2nd choice if the first choice is not willing to expedite the process.
I would not accept the offer and start the job at the second choice firm if I intended to leave upon receiving an offer from the first choice. It's one thing to renege but it's another to start a whole job and leave after say, a week. I emphasize with the situation 100%, but the industry is small, especially for specialized firms or groups and I wouldn't want to risk burning bridges. It's a lot of work to onboard someone so if I were firm #2 it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth. Worst comes to worst, they go to firm #2 and start looking elsewhere 6 months in if they find they don't like it. Or they could just decline firm #2 all together and wait to see what happens with firm #1. Also worth considering why their top choice is their top choice? Is it just a better firm? Is it the people/group/culture? Of course, all those things matter but if the firms are of the same quality, it might make sense to just go with firm 2 if firm 1 won't speed it up.
Thank you, [@jackstack101].
My mentee told me that 1st-choice firm is a reputable firm (and I still do not know the name - they share what they want to share, so I am not probing where it is not necessary. I am more of a therapist to a lot of people in my life these days I guess) and they like the brand more than anything else. Their 2nd-choice is in a region where they do not want to relocate to, and they are scared that if they tell their 1st-choice that they will take a 2nd-choice role and then the 1st-choice will reject their candidacy since some firms have the market power to deny talents left to right.
I am scare for my mentee too. I hope it will work out well for them. Thinking of them relocating around is not ideal but again, they are young and wild, so there is not much I can advise against my mentee's human nature...
I’d call the 1st choice firm asap and tell them that they have an offer that they intend to take but really prefer the first choice while acknowledging that they must decide asap. Don’t leave the other firm hanging or that opportunity might evaporate as well. If nothing moves at the 1st choice then take the 2nd choice offer if they truly want IB vs corporate. This shouldn’t be that hard. You can’t lose an offer you don’t have so worrying about having the 1st choice tell them no indicates it likely would have been the answer anyways.
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