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Getting interviews is all about having contacts and a "headhunter" can be your contact at a potential employer where you do not already have one. Also referred to as placement companies, recruiters, and search firms, headhunters establish and maintain relationships with their client companies and source and screen potential employees for them. Once they source you, they get to know you, your search criteria, and your motivators. Not only do they help you get your foot in the door, but more importantly, they also know where all the doors are, who has the keys, and what is behind each of them.
An effective headhunter is more than just a doorman. He or she can also be an excellent talent scout, coach, mentor, matchmaker and confidant. He or she will evaluate your marketability, identify areas of interest, assist in preparing for interviews, keep the process in motion, smooth out the bumps, and help close the deal.
Caution: when working with a headhunter, keep in mind that you are not the client. The primary goal of a headhunter is to make money. That money comes from the customer — the client — and that is not you. You are most commonly referred to as a candidate, as in candidate for employment, although the word product would also be appropriate. The headhunter wants to fill the client's needs (job openings) with his or her product (you).
Although a headhunter can be a powerful tool in your transition toolbox, identifying the best ones and determining which one is right for you is tricky. Here are the 7 Rules of Engagement to consider when dealing with a headhunter.
@SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas , Capt Christopher Mueller , CPT (Join to see) , COL Mikel J. Burroughs , Sgt Joe LaBranche , SSgt (Join to see) , Capt Seid Waddell , SrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom Earley PVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel @SGT John McConnell SGT John " Mac " McConnell , SSG Leo Bell , SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
An effective headhunter is more than just a doorman. He or she can also be an excellent talent scout, coach, mentor, matchmaker and confidant. He or she will evaluate your marketability, identify areas of interest, assist in preparing for interviews, keep the process in motion, smooth out the bumps, and help close the deal.
Caution: when working with a headhunter, keep in mind that you are not the client. The primary goal of a headhunter is to make money. That money comes from the customer — the client — and that is not you. You are most commonly referred to as a candidate, as in candidate for employment, although the word product would also be appropriate. The headhunter wants to fill the client's needs (job openings) with his or her product (you).
Although a headhunter can be a powerful tool in your transition toolbox, identifying the best ones and determining which one is right for you is tricky. Here are the 7 Rules of Engagement to consider when dealing with a headhunter.
@SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas , Capt Christopher Mueller , CPT (Join to see) , COL Mikel J. Burroughs , Sgt Joe LaBranche , SSgt (Join to see) , Capt Seid Waddell , SrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. PO2 Ed C. PO2 Mark Saffell MSG Tom Earley PVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel @SGT John McConnell SGT John " Mac " McConnell , SSG Leo Bell , SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
Headhunters: 7 Rules of Engagement
Posted from military.com
Transition
Jobs
Civilian Career
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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Thanks for sharing the headhunters 7 rules of engagement SP5 Mark Kuzinski. I copied and pasted the pertinent information.
1. Selectivity. Headhunters will screen and interview you prior to taking you on as a candidate. They look for two things: are you the kind of person they want to put in front of a client and do they represent clients that will meet your needs.
2. Compatibility. Find one that meshes well with your background and priorities.
3. Contracts or Fees. Avoid headhunters that ask you to sign any contracts or letters of understanding. Even if they do not require you to sign, the fact they even have one is a danger signal. Do not pay any fees at any time.
4. Restrictions. Do not work with headhunters who require you to cease all job search activity beyond what they control, regardless of how they attempt to justify such a restriction.
5. Multiple Headhunters. More is not necessarily better. Resist the temptation to register with more than two headhunters.
6. Communication. Be up-front with your headhunter(s) about your overall plan. Let them know the companies where you have inside connections.
7. Longevity and Stability. Find a headhunting firm that has many years of experience and low turnover among its professional staff. This is especially important if you are assigned to a rookie.
Disclaimer: In the early 1990s I paid about $600 for a 12 week course provided by a headhunter who focused on executives. It was very informative and included sessions on the clothing industry and how to dress by the Executive in charge of Britches of Georgetown and many other sessions related to everything from writing to researching to customs and courtesy.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) SGT Forrest Stewart SGT John " Mac " McConnell SGT Robert Hawks SGT Robert George SrA Christopher Wright Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
1. Selectivity. Headhunters will screen and interview you prior to taking you on as a candidate. They look for two things: are you the kind of person they want to put in front of a client and do they represent clients that will meet your needs.
2. Compatibility. Find one that meshes well with your background and priorities.
3. Contracts or Fees. Avoid headhunters that ask you to sign any contracts or letters of understanding. Even if they do not require you to sign, the fact they even have one is a danger signal. Do not pay any fees at any time.
4. Restrictions. Do not work with headhunters who require you to cease all job search activity beyond what they control, regardless of how they attempt to justify such a restriction.
5. Multiple Headhunters. More is not necessarily better. Resist the temptation to register with more than two headhunters.
6. Communication. Be up-front with your headhunter(s) about your overall plan. Let them know the companies where you have inside connections.
7. Longevity and Stability. Find a headhunting firm that has many years of experience and low turnover among its professional staff. This is especially important if you are assigned to a rookie.
Disclaimer: In the early 1990s I paid about $600 for a 12 week course provided by a headhunter who focused on executives. It was very informative and included sessions on the clothing industry and how to dress by the Executive in charge of Britches of Georgetown and many other sessions related to everything from writing to researching to customs and courtesy.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) SGT Forrest Stewart SGT John " Mac " McConnell SGT Robert Hawks SGT Robert George SrA Christopher Wright Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
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Good article. Job hunters, pay particular attention to the "you are not their client" comment. Things have probably changed a lot since I was one, but I never kept contact with an individual once a job had been filled. A headhunter can be a valuable tool as you say, but only for the time span of the job they are filling. Once that happens they are off to working their other job postings and your info goes off their desk/computer files and into a file most likely never to be seen again. In the hundreds of postings I worked I can only recall one or two times that I recalled an individual from a previous job search and had their file pulled for review. Guess the point I'm trying to make is use a headhunter as your resource while they have you under consideration. Ask questions that gets them to give you as much information about the industry they represent as possible, then use that information on your own.
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Not too many around 30 some years ago. Like the environment I'm in. Learn something new each day.
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