Get blogging ... an online presence helps headhunters find you.
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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Sarang 28-04-2009
I understand it`s a longer process but I think headhunting is mostly important for executive level people. For these people, approach to find the jobs have to be different as they need to identify their own targets in terms of industry, profile, skills and more importantly where they see themselves landing next.
This lengthy approach means you choose where you want to go rather than flowing with the flow which may lead you to unknown destination. I like this way.
Though I fully respect that this may not be the greatest way for every job search....
This lengthy approach means you choose where you want to go rather than flowing with the flow which may lead you to unknown destination. I like this way.
Though I fully respect that this may not be the greatest way for every job search....
