| Topic Name: |
Unemployment |
| Message Name: |
hang in there! |
| Date Posted: |
10/06/2004 |
| In Reply To: |
Don't worry, you're not the only one that's had to deal w/ this. I was let go when the manager that first hired me left the firm to start up his own fund. The guy that took over the group was a complete jerk. He and I didn't get along beforehand, and continued not to when he became the head of our group. He was not liked by anyone in the group, so it wasn't just me. He ended up letting me go and it is going on a year and eight months since I have been employed. The problem I've been running into is the jobs I've been interviewing for say I either have too much experience or too little experience for the position(I was a Junior Trader at Hedge Fund). Also, my product that I traded is a niche product, so the opportunities are limited. My girlfriend of 2-3 years also has not been very supportive and said that she can't be in a serious relationship w/ me until I get a job. We are basically broken up. What a joke! To go from such high's(finally getting my dream job) to new low's has been a very difficult and very humbling experience to say the least. The only thing I guess we all can do is just to keep applying for jobs and hopefully something will come up. It can only get better, I hope. |
| Message: |
After a JD/MBA (top 5) I was terminated after 1 year from a prestigious NY firm. The reason: bad economy.
It took me 9 months to find another position in a similar firm.
I now consider myself lucky as this happened in the immediate wake of the 9/11 recession.
In the process of finding a job, I had to go through a lot of questions to which I had no good answers: why have I been let go, will I ever be employable again.... (I am sure this are no strange feelings to most of the posters.)
I also felt bad as my girlfriend was a successful young attorney, handling interesting deals while I was home receiving a rejection letter a day.
after the first massive wave of "you are wonderful but we have no job for you" letters, I managed to get some interviews. But I blew it as i could not explain why i was let go in a clear and simple manner. Full of resentment over my firing, I was trashing the firm and by way of consequence was discrediting myself in the eyes of interviewers. In addition my beahvior showed that I had been severly hit by what happened (I looked desperate)
It took me a while to understand it, and to come up with a positive way of presenting things and (most importanly) myself.
Then, after extensive introspection I accepted the fact that I had to start from scratch, that I had to stop complaining about what happened to me) and forget the top 5 school demeanor while not presenting myself as an underdog (an absolute detterant for employers).
And it worked! I finally got a job offer from a good firm staffed with decent human beings which allowed me to regain my lost self confidence.
In the process i have matured. I know now that professional accidents happen, that there is no shame in it and that at the end of the day you can find the inner strength to bounce back.
Above all I value the extent of the patience and support of my girl friend. Without her I would not have resisted this moment of intense doubt.
Now I am receiving call from headhunters...
good luck to you all!
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