How to Find a Headhunter to Find You a Job: 20 Tips
A headhunter, as is discussed over at runrex.com, is a contracted professional hired by a company to find the best candidates for a specific job. When companies need to fill a certain position very quickly is when they will outsource this task to headhunters. Given that headhunters are skilled at connecting the right professionals with the right positions, have inside knowledge of the companies that are hiring or that are planning to hire shortly, and also have access to information about jobs that is unavailable to the public, working with one to find you a job can be very attractive to job seekers. If you are looking for one, here are 20 tips on how to find a headhunter to find you a job.
- Leverage your network for referrals
The first thing you can do to find a headhunter is to ask professionals within your network to refer you to a candidate whom they have worked in the past. This is one of the most effective ways for finding a headhunter, although, as discussed over at guttulus.com, you will most likely end up with a very short list depending on your network and how many of them may have worked with a headhunter before.
- Search networking sites
You should also check out networking sites as headhunters regularly frequent such sites as discussed over at runrex.com. Additionally, within these sites you can also ask other members if they can refer you to a headhunter if they know are have worked with one.
- Check out message boards
Another way to find a headhunter is by checking out message boards on career-related groups or discussion boards online. According to discussions on the same over at guttulus.com, you can often find referrals to headhunters on message boards that are hosted by organizations relevant to you and your industry such as trade associations and professional societies.
- Read business news stories
News stories announcing major happenings within a company, particularly executive changes, usually mention the agency that has been tasked with finding a replacement. Therefore, by reading such news stories, you can be able to find a headhunter’s name or their agency.
- Call employers in your industry
Another tip when it comes to finding a headhunter is calling employers in your industry. Although this method is usually not as effective as the others, it can still allow you to locate a skilled headhunter, particularly if you call the top employers in your industry or field of expertise. All you have to do is ask to be connected with the human resources department when you call and then ask the HR representative which search firm the organization uses.
- Join a trade or industry group
As outlined over at runrex.com, headhunters often belong to associations or groups that are relevant to their specialty. Therefore, by joining these groups, you will have access to chances to network with the various headhunters that have a membership.
- Use a directory
As the gurus over at guttulus.com are quick to point out, there are several online directories out there that can help you identify the best search firms for your geographic area, your specialty, or your industry, with the most popular one being Oya’s directory of recruiters.
- Use social media
You can also use social media to find headhunters as discussed over at runrex.com. All you have to do is conduct a simple search with the relevant keywords and you will get relevant results, including profiles of relevant search firms or headhunters.
- Conduct a Google search
Another simple, yet effective way of finding a headhunter is by simply conducting a Google search. All you have to do is simply input relevant keywords such as “search firms” or “executive headhunter” followed by your location and industry and you will get the results you are looking for.
- Check out high profile publications
Browsing through high profile publications in your industry can also land you on an article written by a headhunter or a representative of a search firm. Additionally, some publications such as Forbes even have rankings of the best search and recruiting firms of the year and you can use such articles to find the best headhunters out there.
- Don’t forget about blogs
As the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com like to point out, content is king, and headhunters know this as well. This is why they are actively using content to attract clients, connect with candidates, and expand their networks. Therefore, checking out relevant blogs may lead to you stumbling across one written by a headhunter, which will help you in your search for one.
- Use a career finder service
From discussions over at runrex.com, some companies will work as company hunters for you, which means that they will find you relevant fitting jobs, fill out applications for you, find references and other contacts for you, and even help you with preparation for interviews. An example of such a service is Career Finder by Find My Profession.
- Ask your inner circle
On top of asking professionals within your network for referrals when looking for a headhunter, you can also ask your friends and family if they know any headhunter they would recommend. As is revealed in discussions over at guttulus.com, you will trust any recommendations you get this way as you will have gotten them from people you trust a lot.
- Leverage your alumni
Chances are some of your former classmates have worked with or interacted with headhunters. Therefore, another way of finding one is by asking your alumni for recommendations. You can check out message boards or social media platforms where your alumni interact and ask them for referrals.
- Suggest names to headhunters you may know
Sometimes you may know a headhunter who isn’t currently recruiting for jobs in your industry or field. In such a situation, you can either ask them for referrals on headhunters recruiting for jobs in your industry who can help find you a job, or you could suggest names of prospects you know for jobs they are seeking to fill, and in turn, when they find themselves recruiting for jobs relevant to you, you will already have gotten onto their radar and they will seek you out.
- Search for headhunters on LinkedIn
Even though LinkedIn is usually lumped in with the rest of the social media platforms, it deserves to be covered alone. As is outlined over at runrex.com, LinkedIn carries tens of thousands of headhunter profiles making it an excellent tool when you are looking for a headhunter to help find you a job.
How to get on a headhunter’s radar
In addition to actively finding a headhunter with the help of the tips above, there are certain things you can also do to get on a headhunter’s radar and have them find you as outlined in the following tips.
- Get yourself ready
The first thing you need to do is make sure that your resume is up-to-date so that you are ready in case an opportunity presents itself. Then you will need to ensure that your social media profiles are also in order and great shape. Most importantly, make sure you design a LinkedIn profile using attention-grabbing keywords and that demonstrate your skills and experience to attract headhunters. Also, as discussed over at guttulus.com, try and build a personal website and provide links to it on your social media platforms including LinkedIn.
- Make your presence known
Once you have perfected your LinkedIn profile as mentioned above, it is important to let headhunters know that you are open for business by updating your status to “Actively Applying” as discussed over ay runrex.com. This will let headhunters know that you are open to offers.
- Connect meaningfully
Also, if a headhunter reaches out to you with an opportunity, but, unfortunately, upon examining it you realize it is not what you are looking for, instead of ignoring the inquiry, respond by thanking the headhunter, let them know you appreciate the offer while also informing them why it isn’t a good fit for. You can then enlighten them about your career goals and they will be more inclined to reach out if they come across an opportunity that is perfect for you.
- Upload a resume on online job boards
Headhunters also regularly search databases of candidates on job boards like Indeed and CareerBuilder. Therefore, by creating a profile on such sites and uploading a solid and up-to-date resume, you will be increasing the chances of being engaged by a headhunter.
As always, this article is only the tip of what is a very large iceberg as far as this topic is concerned, and, therefore, if you are looking to uncover more insights on the same, don’t forget to check out the excellent runrex.com and guttulus.com.