I am aware of the existence of headhunters but uninformed about practically how they work. I’ll just be blunt about it —I feel I have a lot of talent and experience and could be a very marketable prospective employee. I have a job, but really, there could be better opportunities elsewhere. So, I’ve applied. I’ve networked. And I’ve gotten nowhere.
I have some parameters; that I don’t want to move is the main one. I’m also unwilling to drive to anything but the most nearby of towns, which actually shouldn’t be a big problem since I live in one of the three largest cities in the state. And call me crazy, but I’d like to make as much if not more money than I make right now.
Am I a candidate for a headhunter? Presumably they work for employers, but don’t they have to know where the people are in order to provide them with candidates?
In my industry (high tech), there are tons of recruitment companies. A recruiter is commonly referred to as a headhunter, and you get in with them by sending them your resume. They get listings of open jobs from organizations who are hiring, and they try to match up resumes to jobs.
When I lived out in the real world, I’d get calls from headhunters to the tune of twice a week in the mid to late 90s. They’d place me in a job, and 3 months later be calling to see if I wanted another job. It was nuts! From all reports, it’s still that bad in some of the high-tech places around the country.
Come to to think of it, I get at least 2 emails a week from recruiters even now. I posted my resume on a job board a while ago, and it found it’s way into a couple firms. If I wanted to move to Texas, New York, or various other places, it seems I’d have plenty of jobs waiting for me. As it is, I’m not looking to change jobs, so I just ignore them.
So that’s my 2 cents - find a place that specializes in recruiting for whatever industry you’re in, and send them a resume.
Thank you for the information, Athena. Is it only by industry? Because I’m not really in one; that is, I could work in several different areas. I’ll google and see what I can find based on your suggestion.
Most head hunters and recruiting companies work within one industry. However some larger firms have expanded into multiple industries. If I were you, I would look for local, mom and pop type recruiting and staffing companies. They may be more willing to help you since you don’t have a “place” in a certain industry. They may be able to help you.
You sound like you would be a good candidate for a head hunter, and if you prove yourself to them, you will have already passed their test and therefore your future employer will hold you in higher regard than a resume they receive from a job board for example.
I know a lot of the bigger firms have departments for different fields, especially related fields. I work in higher ed, and some of the headhunters I’ve worked with had departments for education, non-profits, and health. Which was handy when we were recruiting, for example, for a dean of the medical school.
I have also worked with a few smaller, boutique firms that are strictly higher education.
And I can make these determinations by googling? Which I haven’t done, so I am not saying it’s impossible. But talking about boutique firms and such presumes a level of knowledge about these firms that I just don’t have.
Call them. Call them all too. One thing that was repeated to me often when I was job hunting was the recruiters work for the employer not you. While they will show some loyalty to you eventually if this is your first gig with them you’re just a resource they’re trying to sell. You are not obliged to stick with any one recruiter BUT once one company submits you for a position you should refuse to let other companies submit you for the same position. Many HR departments will throw out all duplicates due to contractual complications.
I spent more time on recruiter interviews than I did actual employer interviews but it worked out for me.
Here is a website by a head hunter who spends a lot of time giving advice on a lot of things, including how to work with head hunters and how to interview. While I don’t agree with all of his advice, a lot of it is really good and is stuff I wish people who were interviewing with me would follow.
I get calls all the time from headhunters because I am fairly visible in my field. I always begin by quizzing them about what I do. I’m not interested in those who have collected my name, but a fair number have actually looked at my on-line record, and understand it. I’m not looking, but I do talk to these guys for a while.
I did get one job through a headhunter. The job was a disaster, but the headhunter earned his money While he was working for the company, in a sense he worked for me since he wouldn’t get paid if they hired someone using another path. My next job I got through networking - my neighbor was good friends with an HR guy at a company who really needed someone like me. My neighbor is not at all a tech guy, so you never know who will have the right connections.
Yes. do this. No one does. Call instead of e-mail because no one can delete a call and because you get feedback. The person you call will not be the right person, unless you are very lucky, but might direct you to the right person.
I think we’re talking about calling head hunters here, but if you can find some people in companies you are interested in, call them also.
In my industry (finance/derivatives), headhunters are always looking for people. They’ll cold call you at work and ask “Are you looking for a job? If not, is anyone you know looking for a job?”
I’ve tried them a few times, but I had poor results; they all just sent my resume out to as many jobs as possible, in as short a time as possible, regardless of whether the particular jobs were within my field of expertise or how high-level the job was. And after a few negative results, they’d just give up on you, presumably moving on to the next client.
(I have to admit that I’m a bit curious how you can have a lot of expertise, but not in an industry.)
I only have 5 years experience but in a fairly specialised field (health finance) and I’m already in touch with a couple of head-hunters. At the end of the day they are just recruiters - they occasionally use my resume without permission to make up numbers, I’m pregnant and not looking ATM and I occasionally get “sorry you were unsuccessful” notifications for jobs I haven’t applied for!
Nonetheless, just keep in contact with any recruiters you have dealt with in the past, as long as you’re a marketable product (and, make no mistake, you are a product) they’ll send opportunities through when they come up.
I assume you’re already on linkedin? I often get contacted through there.
Typically one broad industry like high tech or finance. But many recruiters specialize in one aspect of that industry.
I’ve worked with recruiters on both sides of the hiring process. Keep in mind, we hiring managers don’t like dealing with them. Their candidates are often sub-standard and they keep calling us with them five times a day.
Also keep in mind that a lot of them are scumbags. The one who ended up getting me my current job apparently had a “misunderstanding” with the salary to the tune of about $10,000 (not in my favor). But, as is my way, I told him to fucking eat it and he did. I ended up with the salary I was expecting.
The best thing to do is call up a headhunter who works in an area you are looking to get hired in and see what he or she is looking for. Don’t bug them like every day. They aren’t pounding the pavement looking to get you a job. They are pounding the pavement looking for companies who will sign contracts with them. If they have something you are a fit fo, they will let you know. Usually calling about once a month unless you are following up on a specific opportunity is fine.
Well, just to be clear as to my “industry,” I am a writer who has worked as a print journalist, in promotion and marketing and television production. So there are several areas I’m suited for, including education, which isn’t really in any of above either.
Also, msmith:
This is why I started the thread. Call who? How do I know this information? Who do I ask to get it?
Try googling terms like “print journalist recruiter” (the polite term ). If you’re in a major city, add the city / market name to the Google search. That can at least give you a starting point.
I’d also suggest networking with friends / colleagues in your field(s). If someone’s been established in a professional field for a while, odds are that they’ve started to get headhunter calls. They may have contacts at recruiting firms with whom they can connect you.
Go to the library, there is a book called “the Red Book” (I Googled “recruiting red book” and this appears to be their official site, but I know it is available at most public libraries) which lists the name of pretty much every recruiting firm by geography, and it lists what industries they recruit in…
‘Head Hunters’ originally referred to employment recruiters who sought out prospective employees directly instead of waiting for them to inquire. It’s a pretty generic term for any recruiter now. In order for there to be classic head hunters in an industry there has to be a shortage of qualified applicants, or in the current economy there may be too many applicants to consider, and a hirer wants somebody who already has a job instead of someone out of work. Any employment agency that works in your field should be able to help you. Just don’t sign any exclusivity contracts.
You all are great. Thank you very much. (And, as an aside, as much as I loved being a reporter and editor, traditional print journalism is nowhere these days, and I haven’t done it full-time for 20 years anyway. Still have the mad skilz, of course.)
My wife is a freelance writer, doing a lot of medical work, and there seems to be a few boards and organizations with job postings. She’s not interested in a full time job, but has seen some, and even has gotten some work from those companies.
Headhunters get paid based on the salaries of the people they place. Execs and people in tech make a lot more than your average writer, and I wonder how many print headhunters there are, especially because freelancers making a lot have agents. Maybe I’m wrong, but my wife has never gotten calls from headhunters, and she has enough books out there that she’d be visible.
). If you’re in a major city, add the city / market name to the Google search. That can at least give you a starting point.