All That You Must Know About Headhunters
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- Headhunters are working for you in the negotiation process. Since their fee is a percentage of your first year's salary, they'll try to negotiate the best package possible for you.
- Don't be intimidated by headhunters and executive recruiters. Never let them railroad you into a job that doesn't meet your criteria.
- Research the best headhunters in your field, then send them a resume and cover letter. Follow up with a phone call and press for an interview, however brief. \bu must get a face-to-face.
- Cultivate long-term relationships with headhunters in your field. They can make or break your career. Call periodically, send cards, mail interesting newspaper articles. Stay connected.
- Headhunters tend to specialize. So look in the yellow pages under Employment Agencies and/or Executive Search Firms to find recruiters/headhunters in your location who specialize in your field or industry.
- Never go around a headhunter to get to the hiring manager. Try it and they'll cut you out of the loop faster than you can say "Hasta la vista, baby."
- Headhunters are very image-conscious. Dress to impress. Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Dress one to two levels above your position.
- Search firms and employment agencies aren't charitable organizations. They're only interested in you if they can place you. They won't shop you around until they have a buyer.
- Agency versus search firm? An employment agency usually works on jobs $50,000 and below in annual salary; a search firm works on jobs above $50,000, many over $100,000.
- Never sign anything. You may be liable for a fee! Most agencies are Fee Paid by Employer, but some agencies are Fee Paid by Employee. That's you! Be wary.
- Never agree to an exclusive relationship with one recruiter. Maximize your exposure. Use two or three.
- Don't count on headhunters exclusively to get you a job. Agencies and search firms generally account for only 10 to 15 percent of all jobs filled. So be proactive. Do your research. Source leads. Talk to everyone.
- Rule of thumb: The higher the salary of the job you're looking for, the more important a headhunter is to your job search success. At salaries over $100,000, they're responsible for over 50 percent of all placements.
- Job hunting can involve a long series of rejections. Don't fear rejection. Celebrate it. In salesperson's terms, each "no" brings you that much closer to "yes."
- Interviewing rule of thumb: It takes 10 to 15 networking contacts to generate one interview and 5 to 10 interviews to generate one offer.
- Rejection is tough, but don't take it personally. Detach. It's just business. After each rejection, evaluate why. Then figure out what you can do in the future to avoid the same thing happening again.
- Never leave an interview without thanking the interviewer and going for the trial close. Ask, "What's the next step? Where do we go from here?"
- Anyone's worst nightmare-a group interview. Relax. Don't panic. Direct your answers to the person asking the most questions but maintain eye contact with everyone.
- A lunch interview? Order something easy to eat. Always graciously decline alcoholic beverages, even if the interviewer indulges. And mind your manners.
- If the interviewer keeps you waiting for more than 30 minutes, reschedule. You'll both feel better meeting under different circumstances.
- Fear of shrinking? Don't make an issue out of taking psychological tests. They're no big deal, and many companies use them, both pre and post employment.
- Don't be intimidated by interviewers, especially personnel types. They want you to be the right candidate. It makes their job easier.
- Assess how you did after the interview. Did you babble, evade questions, fidget, reveal too much? Learn from your mistakes, but don't be too hard on yourself. You're learning how to interview.
- Write thank-you notes immediately. Be brief, but gracious. This is a courtesy note only. Resist going in for the kill with a final sales pitch.
- Don't use "Thank-You" stationery or stationery with business letterheads. And never send humorous cards.
- The next time you make a job move for money, take this test: divide the difference between your old salary and your new salary by 12; take about 35 to 40 percent off for taxes and deductions. That's how much more you're going to take home each month. Then ask: is making the move worth it?
