What You Don’t Know about Headhunters

What You Don’t Know about Headhunters: 10 Tips

David McCann
CFO.com | US 

Understanding what makes recruiters tick is a vital but often overlooked component of the job hunt. With a recession looming, it may be more crucial than ever.

At long last, you have made the tough decision: it’s time for a new job. Or maybe someone else decided that for you. Whatever the motivation — new owner, new boss, company going bankrupt, getting fired after a restatement — the first thing to do is find some executive recruiters. Right?

At this point, you might as well. But it would have been smarter to forge relationships with recruiters when you weren’t in such a hurry to move — that way, a recruiter could have contacted you as positions became available. Not only is that how they prefer to work, it’s a far surer path to making a change than pushing the panic button and expecting something to happen overnight.

Understanding what makes recruiters tick is a vital but often overlooked component of the job hunt. Here’s what you need to know:

• The right recruiter. There are two kinds of recruiting firms: contingency and retained. The contingency firms get paid only when a candidate they found gets hired by a client. “There are some good ones, but many of them just throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks,” says […]. “If you don’t want your résumé to be all over the place like the daily news, you might not want to go that route.” Companies hire firms on retainer to identify candidates, thoroughly learn about them, and present a short list to be interviewed. But the lower the salary allocated for a slot, the less likely retained recruiters are to take on that search, so recruiters paid via contingency fees are frequently used to fill lower-level positions.

• E-greetings. To make initial contact with a recruiter, send an E-mail. “Some candidates think paper résumés stand out, but E-mail is interactive — I can just hit ‘reply’ to get back to you,” says […]. And my opinion about cold calls: “Very poor.” Some recruiters don’t mind a phone call or even a brief visit to get acquainted — to a point. “I can’t do that with every person in the country,” […] says. Which brings us to the next point.

• It’s a rat race. Working on about 10 searches at a time, a recruiter might make five calls to prospective candidates per week on each search. That’s 50 calls. Each client wants weekly telephone updates on the search progress, which eats up several hours. Candidates who pass initial muster must be interviewed, followed by a written report to the client; this process takes a couple of hours a pop, and sometimes a whole day, if the recruiter must travel to do the interview. That’s not to mention their own intracompany meetings or the small matter of finding new business.

Why should you care? “If you call a recruiter and they don’t call back, it isn’t necessarily because they have a bad feeling about you — it’s that they’re overwhelmed,” says […]. “There’s an assumption that if you call someone they’re going to call you back, but it physically can’t work that way.” Also note that while you may be out of a job, calling recruiters every week for an update is not productive and likely will just annoy them.

• Poor returns. On the other hand, recruiters take a dim view of you not returning their calls. Aside from providing all information about your accomplishments and employment history, the single most important thing to do when making a career change is to return phone calls. “It’s simple, but the number of people who don’t return calls is unfortunately very high.”

• It’s a cold world. Cold-calling not only can be an annoyance to recruiters, as indicated previously, it’s also not likely to land you a job in the short term because headhunters generally do very specific searches. The vast majority of positions they fill are the result of their own proactive searches. Even if you get through to the recruiter and ask what searches are in progress, finding a match is a longshot. “Our clients usually have precise requirements for what they want,” says […]. “A lot of times people will try to ‘bend’ their résumé to fit the situation, but I have to tell them I can’t — the client was very clear.”

• Heavy hitters. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that a recruiter is a lightweight go-between that you cursorily pass by on your way to the real interview. Retained recruiting firms play an enormous role in helping determine who gets hired. If you don’t ace your interview with the recruiter, you will never get to see the actual employer. And do not assume you can b.s. the recruiter because he or she knows little about your field.

• Back-scratching. Among the best ways to build a relationship with recruiters is to help them succeed. If one calls you about a job that is not right for you, make every effort to refer him or her to someone else who might be more appropriate. “I don’t forget that, and I try to pay those little dividends back,” says […].

• A wide net. Don’t limit your efforts to network with recruiters to E-mails and phone calls. “Getting to know recruiters through other means is smart.” There are professional conferences, industry specific events, and networking organizations where you can rub elbows with recruiters. “Those are great opportunities for getting to know somebody face-to-face in a 10-minute conversation that can be followed up on later.”

• On the record. Most major recruiting firms offer Websites where you can enter your profile and a résumé into a database that all of the firm’s search professionals can tap. The information can be updated at any time; if you are moving to Denver, say, make a note of it in your online profile, which typically will trigger E-mail alerts to the firm’s recruiters.

• The ship is already sinking. And, yes, do not wait until you are in trouble or transition to start calling recruiters. “It is extremely unfortunate that so many people don’t network or do it too late.”

Twelve Worst Job Interview Mistakes

It’s been quite the beginning of the year. For all the job seekers here is an informative article. Enjoy. =)

 

 

Twelve Worst Job Interview Mistakes

 

Julie Hordon / BusinessWeek

Among the tips for this stage of the application process: You don’t want to be unprepared or too rehearsed, or be labeled an HR stalker

Turning off a potential employer is easier than one might think. To score a job, avoid these 12 mistakes that candidates often make during the interview process.

1. Being Unprepared for Standard Questions

Most interviewers ask prospective employees questions about the same topics—a conflict in the workplace and how the candidate resolved it, an accomplishment they take pride in, their biggest weakness, their greatest strength. “Some people are totally surprised, saying, ‘I had no idea you’d ever ask me to describe my best boss or a customer complaint and how I dealt with it,’ ” says Kim Silvers, president of Silvers HR Management in Sacramento. To avoid being caught off guard in a job interview, create a list of obvious questions and brainstorm ways to answer.

2. Sounding Too Rehearsed

The flip side of being unprepared is sounding like a robot. Think of potential question answers in bullet points instead of memorizing information word-for-word, says Ciara Truglia, human resources manager for Nexion Health Management in Eldersburg, Md. That way, you will sound as natural as possible.

3. Stalking HR

“There’s a fine line between being assertive and expressing interest and being stalking and annoying,” says Kiersten Peterson, manager of human resources for Boston-based Winston Flowers. HR professionals usually do not follow up with every person who sends a résumé, especially at in-demand companies. Peterson advises limiting follow-ups to 3-4 calls and/or e-mails—at most. “If somebody doesn’t get back to you, take it as a hint to focus your attention elsewhere in the job search,” she says.

4. Applying for the Wrong Job

There’s no point in sending a résumé for a position for which you are under- or overqualified. Besides your having a slim chance of getting hired, it is time-consuming for HR to sift through so many résumés and applications, says Rosario Terrazas, human resources manager for Goleta (Calif.)-based Frontier Technology.

5. Arriving Too Early

Everyone knows the downside of getting to an interview late, but arriving more than 10 or 15 minutes before the start of a meeting is just as unacceptable. “It makes the company uncomfortable because they are customer service-oriented. We can’t do anything if they see somebody sitting there for 45 minutes because we do so much interviewing that we usually have to stick with the schedule,” says Susan R. Summers, vice-president of human resources for Episcopal Ministries to the Aging, which has care facilities in the Mid-Atlantic. Summers’ advice if you get there too early? “Stay out in your car or sit on the bus bench and wait.”

6. Oversharing

With the popularity of social-networking sites and personal Web pages, it’s easier than ever to find personal information about candidates. “You can pull up somebody’s name, and if the college fraternity’s Web site won the tequila-drinking contest and they weren’t seen or heard from in three days, that’s not the kind of publicity a candidate will want,” says Silvers of Silvers HR Management. If a job seeker has a MySpace, Facebook, or Friendster profile, or a personal

7. Asking the Wrong Questions (Or No Questions at All)

If an interviewer asks if you have questions—which he inevitably will—rattle off a few smart ones that demonstrate how thoroughly you have prepared for the interview. “It’s not good to show up and say, ‘How much do you pay? Do you offer 401(k)’s?’ If you say, ‘I was looking at your Web site…’ or ask about the stock performance over the last six months, that shows that a student was proactive enough to do research and ask meaningful questions,” says Roberto Angulo, president of recruiting and career network AfterCollege.

8. Bungling the Salary Negotiation Process

Most experts agree that the all-important salary discussion should be brought up by someone from the hiring organization. Throughout the interview process, a candidate should focus on what he can bring to an organization, not what he can get out of it. A candidate should also have a realistic view of his worth to a company, enhanced by applicable work experience and other important skills, says Michael Kalinsky, president of management consulting company Empyrean Management Group.

9. Failing to Show Enthusiasm

Some candidates are afraid to appear too aggressive or interested in a position. However at the end of an interview an applicant should make sure a recruiter knows how interested he or she is. “Make sure it’s sincere, appreciative, and not over-the-top. But absolutely let them see your enthusiasm,” says Rita B. Allen, president of Rita B. Allen Associates, which offers career management strategies for individuals and organizations.

10. Exaggerating Work Experience

Though it might seem like a smart idea to talk up work experience, interviewers can often see right through fabrications. “Candidates often exaggerate in a way that’s obvious given what their position was,” says Nexion Health’s Truglia. Stretching the truth is also common among career changers, who want to make themselves seem like a good fit although they might lack experience.

11. Being Rude

Professional etiquette should not be a long-lost art form. Thank-you notes (either e-mail or print), appropriate dress, hand shaking, and courteous behavior should be in the front of applicants’ minds-even if they are going to a more casual company, says Allen of Rita B. Allen Associates

12. Trashing a Former Employer

A question about your worst day at work or a difficult situation isn’t an invitation to bad-mouth a former employer or other company, says Summers of Episcopal Ministries to the Aging. Besides making a candidate look like a gossip, a recruiter may wonder what harsh stories the applicant might spread about the recruiter’s company.

 

http://www.saleshq.com/careers/articles/997-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?utm_source=nlet&utm_content=sh_r1_20090401_mist

Hawaiian Winter Wonderland

3:42 AM Severe weather advisory for thunder storms, flash floods (2-4″ an hr) and wind gusts!!

5:00 AM 3/4 of the island’s schools are closed.

6:00 AM work began but the rain crashing against the window was so distracting that we all just stood looking outside at all the people being dragged sideways by their umbrellas while being drenched by the monsoon happening outside.

A quick trip across the street to Starbucks turns into a disaster as my umbrella flips inside out and almost smacks someone in the face! The doors to Starbucks are swinging open and close by themselves. Stepping inside hoping to find warmth and shelter, I realize the floor is flooded by the torrential rains. The manager is sweeping water out the doors, just to have them swing open and just as much rain come pouring back in.

Palm branches are covering the streets and people are jumping across flooded walkways and teetering on sidewalks hoping not to fall into the river running alongside the street. Everyone outside is dashing for shelter because noone’s umbrella can withstand the twisting and turning winds outside.

Finally back in the office, I sit down (drenched) with my cup of coffee looking for some peace and quiet. Within minutes, our building alarm is set off. We all laugh with the thought of our building being evacuated into this weather; or at this point, catching on fire!

The building manager finally goes on the intercom to say it was a false alarm. Then comes the beeping letting you know it’s a false alarm. 2 minutes later…. “Beeeeeep! Beeeeeep!” The alarm goes off yet again. Subsequently, the manager, again, comes on letting us know it’s a false alarm. .. .. .. .. .. “Beeeeep! Beeeeep!”

Are you KIDDING ME?!! Three times this darn alarm has gone off this morning. What else! Haha!

So, we busted out the Christmas music in the office and are all enjoying the closest wintery feeling the island will bring us this season. Hope the rest of you are staying warm and enjoying your hot chocolate.

I leave you with a few pics from outside our office window and one severely busted up umbrella. Happy Holidays!!!!

Can you see the rain blowing sideways?!!