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Almost Everything You Need to Know about Headhunters

Also known as recruiters or search consultants, headhunters have a lot to offer certain groups of professionals. For the most part, they work with employers to find the perfect match for high paying and hard-to-fill corporate jobs. They specialize in certain industries or career fields and are very familiar with the employers' needs, company and culture, and they get plenty of insider information. The main thing they have to offer job hunters is access to job openings that will never be advertised.

If you are considering using a headhunter, you should understand that in most cases, headhunters are paid by the employers. In fact, they may collect as much as 25 to 33 percent of your first year's pay and possibly a percentage of your expected bonus or commission. That being said, their goal is help their clients, not you.

'If you are really clear about what you want and have researched and tailored your resume, you may find opportunities with headhunters," said Dr. Barbara Reinhold, independent executive and career coach.

Headhunters aren't going to help write your resume or help you figure out what type of job you want to land. So, if resume writing and career counseling is what you need, connect with the career center at your alma mater or the local Department of Labor office for free job search help.

Headhunters are also not likely to interview you for specific jobs. Instead, they may conduct an interview to learn as much as possible about your background, skills, etc., so that they can present you as a candidate to an employer when they receive a request or when they uncover a vacancy through interacting with their many contacts.

Headhunters network extensively to build and nurture relationships with employers who hire professionals in specialized careers or industries and to find great candidates that those employers may want to hire. And, they network in some of the same places in which job seekers should be networking, like events hosted by professional and alumni associations. They also network with their fellow headhunters, sometimes lending a helping hand and sometimes receiving one. Finally, many headhunters scour LinkedIn profiles and reach out to professionals online to add to their pool of contacts for future openings.

It is relatively easy for job searchers to find headhunters too.

"You can start with the internet to find executive directories or simply google headhunters, executive search firms or even staffing agencies, depending upon your level," said Reinhold former director of the Career Development Office and Executive Education Programs at Smith College. "Always plan to interview them too."

Whether you decide to research potential headhunters or they find you, be careful not to enter into a 'relationship' without gathering some information about their credibility. Read online reviews, verify their success rates and ask people you know and trust for referrals.

Very small numbers of job hunters get jobs with the help of headhunters so don't get discouraged if working with one is not working for you.

"Headhunters tend to use the line 'You're not marketable' but what they really mean is 'My database doesn't have any of the jobs you would be good at," Reinhold said.

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