As headhunters, we have something you don’t have: inside information from the job market and knowledge about vacancies that will never be advertised. We are both watching the job market but the difference is that we do nothing else but this, 50 hours per week and 52 weeks per year. And when we find vacancies, our job is to put the right candidate in front of our client. What can you do to be the one?
Here are 7 tips on how to get headhunted:
- Getting ready: Do you have the right skills to make a difference? Be critical and realistic yet ambitious with yourself. If you lack a skill or a degree, go and get it. There are good executive education programs out there. Rule of thumb: if you did your last meaningful training longer than 10 years ago, take one. Do not only consider what you will learn but also the message it sends on your LinkedIn profile and resume. Example: an online course on Feng Shui versus “Leading Change and Organizational Renewal” at Harvard Business School. You cannot afford Havard Business School? Have a look at www.coursera.org and take for instance “Organizational Analysis” at Stanford or “Corporate Finance” at Wharton – for free
- Step out of the shade and become visible: In order to be found, you must be visible – online and offline. Critical to online visibility are a watertight LinkedIn profile, Twitter, guest posts or publications. However, you cannot send a handshake by email and it is hard to build rapport online only. When did you last participate in a networking event? Find circles that interest you such as business, alumni, sports or other associations. Mingle and make sure you bring enough business cards. Headhunters will always be there too and your objective is to get on their radar screen
- Be meaningful: Being visible is good, being meaningful is better. If the last point is the car, this one is the gas to get it moving. This part is about your personal branding, your marketing strategy or if you want: your sales plan. Going to conferences is good but you will make a real impact by raising the word during the Q&A part. And if you do so, I guarantee there will be at least 3 people that will approach you in the coffee break and talk to you about your contribution. Online, being meaningful is about sharing content on LinkedIn, Twitter or writing guest posts. LinkedIn discussion forums and updates are a very powerful means to communicate what matters to you and to position you as someone who has something to say. What do you want to be associated with? The information I share is usually on career management, the objective being that people think “oh, an update from Jorg. Must be on career management”
- Be an expert: What is your expertise? Let’s say it is… step dance: your aim should be to become known as the best step dancer in your market. Establish yourself as an authority by communicating (online and offline as outlined above) about what you know best to ensure that your name comes up when a headhunter asks one of your contacts “who is the best step dancer in your network?”
- “If we don’t call you, call us”: Who are the three specialized headhunters for your expertise or niche in your city? Which are the top tier recruitment firms are the most likely to find you a job if you needed one? If you don’t have the answer right now, google it. Contact us in an intelligent way (catchy LinkedIn invitation, a recommendation or a line prior to an industry event that interests us both (“Jorg, we share an interest in coaching. Will we meet Friday at the XYZ conference?”)
- Treat headhunters on eye-level: Once we are in contact, do not see headhunters in a binary way (“Jorg’s only reason to exist is to find me a new job”). Follow the basic rules of networking and give first, ask second. Share industry information, give us leads, recommend us, send us a relevant article on our sector or our profession. I remember the candidates best who refer me to new interesting contacts than the ones I meet once and then no one of us follows up…
- Be good: if you are not nice, fair and pleasant, people won’t like you. If people don’t like you, they will neither think of you nor recommend you. This was an easy one, right?
Conclusion:
These is not guarantee to get headhunted but these 7 steps tell you how to a) get visible, b) meaningful and c) what to do with us once we are in contact. Be strategic but most importantly authentic and honest and we can be a catalyst for your career
sending...
As usual, Jorg’s input is very practical and complete. I am not however sure that headhunters are physically present at conferences, forums … Most of the headhunters who work on the Middle-East region are based in London, Beirut and Dubai and find their “target” online. I have received many calls and 4 different job offers during the last 7 years (of which I accepted an offer in 2008, and another in 2012). I have never met the headhunter! It was simply over the phone and through emails.
Charbel, thanks, good input. My point is true for markets like Paris (where I live and work) but there are exceptions.
Great advice Jorg. It’s #2 (Be visible) that’s the hardest for me to accomplish, but it’s always good to be reminded of the importance of this.
Thank you so much Jorg for a great and informative article!
Amanda
Good advice Jorg. I would also add ‘Take the Call’. So many talented people are passing up great opportunities by dismissing a call from a Head-Hunter out of hand before making an informed decision. Listen and evaluate – then decide and engage.
Great point, Jurgen. Could not agree more. My belief is that you need 2-3 headhunters you trust. Also see my posting “How To Use A Headhunter”
Great advice from an expert, something new to me. I will follow but do headhunters in Saudi Arabia follow the same approach?
Abdullah – Thanks for your comment. I cannot respond with 100% accuracy but I guess that most things are an universal approach all over the industry
Do you consider age an impediment for job search or an experience to reckon? I find the Middle East employers quite biased on the age front.
Royston -
Thanks. I have heard this before for your region. As a headhunter with a strict set of ethics, I personally refuse assignments with age restrictions.
Jorg, I must say I admire your work ethics concerning the age restriction. I hope other headhunters follow your example. Incidentally, I’m based in United Arab Emirates and looking for a new job. I dare to say that my qualifications are excellent and I’m not *that* old (I’m 52). My observation is that 4-5 years ago I got almost a weekly call from a few headhunters, whereas nowadays the headhunters I have contacted have not even bothered to reply to my email. Phone calls are completely out of question. One headhunter was honest enough to say that due to the recession in particular in Europe he doesn’t need to bother being polite or sending a “thank you” message to the job seekers contacting him. At the same time he admitted that not so long ago *he* had to pray in order to get a candidate to even listen to his sales pitch. Times are changing, and indeed one day the current job seekers will be hiring new people into their teams. A headhunter with high ethical standards who doesn’t look down at the current job seekers, will be a winner in the long run.
Thanks, Matti. I heard this about your region before. For Europe, I can say that the client’s perception has changed in the last 10 years and today, it is more widely understood that you cannot always get experience and wise judgment with 5 years’ work experience. It’s a learning and change process. Fingers crossed.
I am a recruiter myself. Great article, many thanks.
I agree, point-by-point, with everything. I particularly agree with the ‘stepping out of the shade’ and the ‘getting ready.’ I’m currently taking, enjoying an Executive Certification Course in Leadership and Management, online, via the University of Notre Dame. Just an excellent article!
Thank you very much for this article. I just learned there was a place to refresh my skills at the best universities free from this article.
Great recommendation about http://www.coursera.org/ . I’m currently taking the business course ‘Gamification’. The format and content are great.
Mark, Sheila, Evan -
Thanks a lot. And thank you also, Janine, who gave me this tip!
See you – here or at coursera.
Best,
Jorg
Great stuff, I really like this.
I particularly like your advice around using the phone (#5). These days job hunters can get too caught up in all things online, like branding and networking, when a simple phone call can be incredibly powerful too.