Remains unemployed or accepts a huge pay cut of 70%?

I'm 4th year into IB in ECM. Was laid off a while ago. Not much traction getting jobs without huge pay cut. Now I found a job in a family office, but the paycut is like 70%…While buyside is what I want to get into, feel like 70% paycut is too much. So thinking maybe I should continue to try to hunt for a similar job with a lower paycut for a few more months. But appreciate the job market is tough and it might be hard to get anything better. What do you think?

So, my general question which I think many will be interested to discuss is, when unemployed, how long would one wait to try to get a ok paying job (pay cut <50%) before you accept a HUGE pay cut job. 

I would think accepting a huge pay cut means you go from unemployed to employed obviously, which is good in this current crazy job market. But this might also mean you lose salary bargaining power and might actually hurt your career long term. For example once the markets recover, does headhunter reference your past salary at all or only the current one. Or only the current one, then it means it will take a veryyy long time to get back what I was getting in IB.

Thoughts welcome

8 Comments
 

Would you be staying in your current L/HCOL area? and any more info on sal? For a 4th year are we talking 125k or less than that?

 

Tough spot. But end of the day $0 is the real minimum pay. If you think it would be a bad negotiating position in this new role, imagine trying to negotiate when you’re jobless. I saw a story play out with a couple people where they quit before lining something up. It took way longer than expected to find a job. Then at that point, you might be so desperate you will take anything. At least if you have something, you could be more patient. That said, I feel like a reasonable time to wait / search would be like 3-4 months

 

Thanks for the advice.

Will employers wont consider me for jobs anymore once I have taken on the 70% pay cut job given I have not worked 1 year yet and they dont want jumpy people?

It is kind of weird as it will be hard for me to convince people I wont jump again when Im say few months into a new job and interviewing for another job….

Hard decision..

 

Prospect in IB - Gen

Thanks for the advice.

Will employers wont consider me for jobs anymore once I have taken on the 70% pay cut job given I have not worked 1 year yet and they dont want jumpy people?

It is kind of weird as it will be hard for me to convince people I wont jump again when Im say few months into a new job and interviewing for another job….

Hard decision..

You don’t have to disclose your salary to them - as for the 1y mark, I’ve also been there and a few interviewers definitely wanted to know more about that.

If you give them a plausible reason there is no reason for them to not give you a chance (except if it’s like your 3rd job in a row where you quit without working 1y but if it’s a one-off, no one will bat an eyelid)

 

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