"I lost my banking job 5 months ago. Ignorant recruiters are ignoring me"

5 January 2026

3 minute read

I am looking for a new job. I lost my previous job last summer and have had no luck in finding a new one. Things are getting urgent.

Get Morning Coffee ☕ in your inbox. Sign up here.

I am very open-minded about the jobs I'm applying for. I have spent 20 years in equity research in London and I have a CFA Charter. I'm very interested in ESG, but not in a hippy way, and I am a specialist in the financial services industry. I have covered banking through multiple crises. I know more about the industry than I have ever done before, and yet recruiters have no interest in me whatsoever.

It seems that I have been pigeonholed as someone incapable of flexibility. The assumption is because I have always worked in equity research (covering banks) in the past, I must always work in equity research (covering banks) in the future. This need not be the case, though. I am more than capable of working in other roles. For example, I am a clear fit for investor relations but I am being ruled out of those roles because I don't have direct experience.

It's depressing. All the more so because the recruiters who I manage to speak to don't seem to have a clue about the industry. The gatekeepers to my future are a bunch of ignorant people who don't even know what they're interviewing me for. They ask generic questions like, "Where do you see yourself in five years time?"

I know that I have a lot to offer. The next time liquidity dries up and a financial crisis hits, people like me will be invaluable. Until then, I find myself sitting at home, banging my head against a brick wall. For the moment, I am giving up applying via recruiters or HR, or sending in applications to recruiters' systems that simply spit me out again. The only way to find a job now seems to be via a network.

Evan Horne is a pseudonym

Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: +44 7537 182250 (SMS, Whatsapp or voicemail). Telegram: @SarahButcher. Signal: sarahbutcher.22 Click here to fill in our anonymous form, or email editortips@efinancialcareers.com.

Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: comments are moderated intermittently by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You must take sole responsibility for comments you post on this site. We will take reasonable steps to weed out anything that we consider to be offensive or inappropriate.

AUTHOREvan Horne

Insider Comment

N_
N_R
27 January 2026
Hey, Evan - I feel for you, man - been there more times than I care to remember (my sector specialty is among the most brutally cyclical of them all). My experience is mostly with the NYC job market, so ymmv with London. My general ideas for you that worked for me are: 1 lean on mgt/IR at cos you used to cover. More sympathetic and have a view of the marketplace that may not overlap with yours, which can be helpful; 2 have a good look at the single-sector boutiques out there ( e.g., fin svcs for you ). I got the best job I ever had with a boutique I thought was laughably small, but those guys turned out to really know their stuff and run a good business model, eschewing the traditional parts of the job their carefully curated client list didn't value, and making the most of the rest; 3 try doing what I call "stunt trips" if you're open to relocating. Basically, lie and tell someone in another city (a DoR or senior peer, or any tough-to-get contact you want to network with), "I'm going to be in your city next week. Can I come meet with you?" Then, if you get a "yes", especially from a big fish, arrange the travel, then scramble to add as many people in that locale to your calendar as you can -- fellow school alums, whoever. I've found that for whatever reason, if you'll appear in town with no effort on the target's part, their willingness to slot you in seems to grow, even if it's a cold call. Maybe it's because you just become another calendar appointment to them, rather than primarily someone thirsty who's trying to wrangle a job from them. And I think there's a bit of novelty to you when you come in from out of town, rather than just being a local guy. It seems counterintuitive that they would yield to seeing a potential relocator more readily than a local guy, but maybe the traveler just seems shiny-er, or maybe it's like how one never goes to visit one's own local tourist destinations, taking them for granted, but then you're totally up for visiting the same cheesy touristy things when you're abroad -- you're open to anything, as long as it's not in your own backyard, lol! Again, ymmv, but keep the faith. There's a slot out there for you.
Reply
Si
Silverback47
11 January 2026
Join the club buddy. The job market in the UK is in the toilet. This country has gone from empire to dumpster
Reply
Ho
Hopeslash
8 January 2026
Are you white male by any chance?
Reply
MV
MVPTOPG
7 January 2026
Agree with James - you can’t recognize talent even if it’s in front of you!! Recruiters are useless
Reply
Su
Sultan
6 January 2026
The next time liquidity dries up and a financial crisis hits, people like me will be invaluable. .... Don't overestimate yourself.
1 reply