Non-Compete? No Problem. Maximize Your Time Between Jobs.

As we’re frequently dealing with senior people in high-frequency trading shops and hedge funds, it’s not uncommon to see many of them face a non-compete situation that can last as long as 18 months. This person may be privy to a process that is material to generating revenue, so a certain level of protection needs to be put in place promptly.

Not all non-competes are written exactly the same and the meaning of them can change.

Fortunately, it’s one of the areas at Roy Talman & Associates that we’ve had a lot of experience with and as such, we work with our candidates in helping them figure out how to confront the situation. Especially since every situation is different.

One of the more popular temporary resolutions to a non-compete is to take a sabbatical. The person winds up spending a year or more doing something else. We’ve seen several people take at least three years’ worth of sabbaticals over a decade due to the non-competes they have.

Some people decide that they’re going to get into a particular hobby, like windsurfing. Others might choose to work on their house. Some see it as an opportunity to spend more time with their children.

There’s another way to utilize this time, which is to evaluate your next move from a career standpoint and sharpening up your skill set. That’s where a variety of senior-level people have approached our firm for a more in-depth conversation. If you’re in a similar situation where you recently resigned or were let go, a non-compete may still be very much in place. So you may want to explore what others have done in your circumstances.

Talman Advantage #4: Better Positioning For Your Best Opportunity

The reality is that, in so many situations, that “perfect job opportunity” may not be formally listed by a company. In that instance, where some may simply fire your resume off to an HR person’s email and hope for the best, Roy Talman & Associates takes a more creative and purposeful approach.

If an opening isn’t currently available that’s an ideal match for you, we’ll discuss the kind of role with you that you would be interested in and potentially prepare and present a very specific case to that particular firm to create a unique role for you. That’s called a recruiter that goes further for you – and why you need to talk to Talman first.


Lay the groundwork now with a conversation with our team about what you ideally want to achieve in the next chapter of your career. What technologies await you to learn? What industries are worth exploring that you may not have previously considered thanks to an influx of new technologies in the cloud or machine learning?

If you’re in the area of high-frequency trading or hedge funds, finding yourself with “forced time off” due to a non-compete may be something you experience more than once in your career. When the time comes and you find yourself with a substantial amount of time between now and your next position, you don’t have to feel lost. By discussing your goals from a career and lifestyle standpoint right now with a specialized technical recruiter such as Roy Talman & Associates, you can be ready for the next era of change.

If you’d like to evolve your skill set during this time off, we’ll talk about what’s required in order to bring yourself up to speed and the aptitude tests you’ll need to pass with flying colors. If you’d like to enter a totally new environment, we’ll help you envision the change in culture and management style from your previous workplace to prepare yourself for, should you be hired. And if you’d like to take a trip halfway around the world, we’ve seen our share of candidates do that too.

Seize the opportunity to find your best individualized path to professional and personal clarity during your time between positions. Talk To Talman First.