Technical Career Survival

Headhunters

After being laid off through a corporate downsizing due to the turndown in the oil and gas industry, I took a leap of faith and made a bold decision to become a technical recruiter aka headhunter or executive search.

Here are some insider secrets:

They make mistakes- all too often the recruiter does not have a thorough knowledge of the candidate’s background and/or the requirements of the job.

Don’t count on them- you may get a call and the recruiter explains what sounds like a great opportunity. It may end there if the recruiter cannot convince the HA to conduct a telephone interview or perhaps decides that they cannot pay the fee.

 Timing is everything- When your laid off you will be wondering why recruiters don’t call you when you need them.  Recruiters don’t focus on placing candidates that are unemployed. In fact, they would prefer placing an employed person which lends credibility to the candidate’s value.

Be prepared for numerous telephone calls- Recruiters use telephones to collect resume information and pitch a job opportunity thus avoiding bringing candidates in for face to face meetings. That saves time and money.

The recruiter is paid by the employer- Obviously the recruiter has to be certain the employer is willing to pay a fee to land a candidate. Further, the recruiter has an incentive to encourage the hiring authority to offer the highest annual salary possible since they will likely be paid on a percentage basis.

Recruiters depend on referrals- When a recruiter calls a candidate, they may not indicate how they received the candidates name and contact information. This creates a slight mystery about the process. Then if the candidate declines to show interest in a proposed position/company, the recruiter will likely ask you if they know someone who might be interested.

Headhunters may be essential to your survival particularly after you have gained years of experience. You never know when you may need one so stay in touch.