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How to Headhunt the Headhunters??

Views 369 Views    Comments 24 Comments    Share Share    Posted by Karuna 04-10-2008  

Get blogging ... an online presence helps headhunters find you.

"Dear Mr. Recruiter, Hi. Until Monday, I was an investment banking executive at Lehman, and I`m wondering if your search firm has any appropriate openings."

Sending a blind letter like this to a recruiter you don`t know is a total waste of time, particularly when there are thousands of former Wall Street employees lined up in front of the copy machines. Even more clueless: Sending a résumé to someone who doesn`t even conduct searches in your field.

"A résumé gets you in front of us, in theory, but there are so many of them it doesn`t usually produce a conversation," says Ralph S Protsik, co-founder and managing director of Boston Search Group, an executive search firm that specialises in emerging businesses in the U.S. and Western Europe. Protsik says he gets about 100 résumés a week, but rarely looks at any of them.

So how do you get a headhunter`s attention?

First, find the recruiters who specialise in your industry. Many search firms post on their web sites specific jobs they`re conducting searches for. Find one that matches your background, and tailor a cover letter explaining specifically how your work experience qualifies you for the job. Make it difficult for them to ignore you.

Even better, have a mutual contact introduce you to the headhunter you`re after, through a cover letter or note. Use networking sites like LinkedIn to see if anyone in your circle knows the recruiter you`re targeting. "If [the résumé] comes from someone I know well, I always do them the courtesy of looking at it," says Protsick.

Get your name out there. Make yourself visible. Attend industry conferences and offer to speak at them. Your name will then appear in the online schedule and will pop up in internet searches, one of the prime ways headhunters start looking. If you change jobs, send an announcement to the industry trade bulletin and your college alumni newsletter or magazine.

Write articles for industry publications or start a blog about your sector. "It will increase your `Googleability,`"says Mike Allen, a principal at Lateral Link, a recruiting firm for attorneys. "It will help you market yourself as an authority on your areas of expertise and connect with other industry thought leaders and recruiters."

Lots of people get calls from headhunters while they`re at work and treat them like pests - big mistake. Take the call, even if you`re happy in your current position. Explain why now`s not the right time, but offer to send over your résumé anyway.

The recruiter will likely ask if you know anyone else for the job. If you know someone, pass along the name. If the recruiter likes your recommendation, you`ll be remembered. Says Protsik: "You do them a favour, they do you a favour."

Finally, remember that recruiters thrive on disappointment. If you`re passed over for a promotion and a newspaper account says your evil rival got the big job and you didn`t, don`t be surprised if the headhunter comes after you next.

Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/executive-style-home/management/how-to-headhunt-the-h
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Velraj 30-10-2008
Nice Article....
Venkata 14-11-2008
We really appreciate the process and approach, as one of our other member said..
The table is always of both sides, we can also identify the companies / insdustry suiting our need. Which would certainly limit with the time consumption.
Also we can have a group build around the industry for future need too.
Anupiya 24-11-2008
Rather then head hunting for head hunters a better approach would be utilise your present resource to make them one of the most head hunted head hunters :-) Quiet confusing but of lot of value...
Madhavg 05-12-2008
thnq for your info
Chandra 12-12-2008
Good for trainee recruiters like me.
Manzaree 12-12-2008
Really Good
Anand 15-12-2008
Nice One.
Sarita 25-02-2009
hi
Its good but its lengthy process.....well headhunting is done differently from person to persong
Unnikrishnan 09-04-2009
Nice one its too lengthy if you can give in points it will be More Easy to read through..,
Chitra 25-04-2009
Good info.........would like to have more articles on line with this.

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