how much harder is it to use a headhunting firm to get your second job at a hedge fund vs. the first one?

the first time i recruited for the buyside i was in investment banking. while it was pretty hard to get a job that i wanted, i still felt like i got a lot of interviews.

i have been working on the buyside for 2 years now at a fairly good hedge fund. when i sent my resume out to some headhunting firms, i got far fewer interviews than i felt like i did last time. is this normal for someone recruiting after working at a fund for two years (maybe because I am perceived as less moldable)? is it because of just seasonality in the recruiting cycle?

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It depends. There is really only 1-2 headhunting firms that matter for hedge funds at the post-banking level. If you didn't work with one of them then the opportunities may be thinner. Also the general environment for hedge funds has been gradually worsening over time. In terms of seasonality this is the right time of year.

 

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