Ask the Headhunter: How Do Headhunters Get My Name?

A Reader Writes:

I recently graduated from college and have joined the IT consulting arm of a big accounting firm. I consider my compensation to be very good, the work exciting, and I am largely happy with where I am.

Lately I've had quite a few telephone calls from a number of headhunters. My questions really are twofold: How do these guys get my name, and how do I vet them? I am open to the idea of changing jobs, and I know that I have skills which are highly in demand right now, but want to ensure that the headhunters I select are going to do the best job for me with Fortune 100 companies. Any advice?

Nick's Reply:

The good headhunter gets your name from people in your industry who know about you. (If you had more experience, they might get it from publications in which you are referenced.) In other words, they're experts in your industry and they do solid research to find you. The slothful ones get it from databases which they buy from all sorts of sources, including publishers of industry journals you subscribe to. It's debatable where the "line" is with regard to how random or thoughtful the process is. Since you're with a big accounting firm, your name is probably on a lot of lists.


"I want to ensure that the headhunters I select are going to do the best job for me."



Always bear one fact in mind: Headhunters don't work for you. They don't do a job for you. They do a job for the client who is paying their fee. The best ones will respect you and treat you fairly. Make sure that your interests and wishes are completely clear when you deal with a headhunter. If necessary, get certain things in writing; for example, their agreement to not distribute your resume to anyone without your specific consent.



Also remember that while you may not need a headhunter's attention now, you may need it later. If you like a headhunter, be helpful when he asks for suggestions and referrals of possible candidates for a search. Of course, you may ask that your name not be disclosed. Your assistance keeps you high on the headhunter's list of cooperative industry insiders, and increases the likelihood he'll keep you in mind when a good assignment comes along. It also makes it likely he'll take your call when you need help or advice.



Otherwise, there's nothing mysterious about headhunters. Feel free to ask them for references and for information about their firm. Check them out! And, always expect them to act professionally and courteously. You'll recognize the best ones from their behavior.



For advice about specific issues when dealing with headhunters, please check the resource book listed below.



Copyright © 2010 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved. Ask The Headhunter® is a registered trademark. Nick Corcodilos is president of North Bridge Group, Inc. and the author of two new e-books, How to Work with Headhunters and How Can I Change Careers? He shares his contrarian advice and hopes to learn a lot from you, too. Got questions or comments? Please join the discussion!

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com/articles/content/entry/how_do_headhunters_get_my

Ask The Headhunter: How Do I Tell My Boss I'm Overworked?

by Nick Corcodilos

Question:

As has happened with every job I've ever had, I've come in entry level, and have had more and more work piled on me until I'm a bundle of nerves and stress. I've handled this very well until now. My current job (software documentation) is the first I've had that recognizes my abilities and has compensated me fairly, both monetarily (not too fairly, though!) and with responsibility and management duties. However, I have now inherited more work than I can handle. I've absorbed the workloads of two individuals who are no longer working with the company. HELP! I'm only one person and can only do so much in a 16-hour day! (Isn't it supposed to be 8 hours?) I look forward to any suggestions or comments you are willing to provide!  

Nick's Reply:

I've known more than a few people with a good work ethic who don't know when to tell management "this is too much!" The fact that you keep getting yourself into these situations isn't surprising: It's a bit of a personality trait, I think. You've got to deal with it.

Part of what you're paid for is to tell management the truth. The truth is this: The documentation function in your company requires additional staff.

Prepare a simple plan that outlines:

 

1. The work that needs to be done (the source of the work, the nature of the work, the time it takes to do it).

2. The profit produced by the work. (Remember, Profit = Revenue-Cost: You contribute to either or both, but you must produce profit or your job gets eliminated).

3. The cost of manpower and tools required to do the work profitably (you, and any additional proposed staff).

4. A description of the relationship between size of the department and the amount of output you can produce (16-hour days are not allowed).

 

No matter how much work you keep taking on, as long as you accept it the company will continue to heap it on. It's their fault for expecting so much, but it's more your fault for letting them think you can handle it.

Schedule a meeting with your boss. Don't tell him you're having a problem. Tell him you think you have the documentation function organized now. Then show him your plan, including the requirements for additional staff. Don't complain, don't be defensive. Just give him the facts. Not wanting to work 16 hour days is not something you have to apologize for. However, it is your responsibility to show the company what needs to be done to handle the work effectively.

If you don't deal with this problem now, on this job, you will continue to face it at any future job. The sign of a good employee is dealing with the problem, not compensating by working 16 hour days.

One caution: Some companies prefer to kill an employee with work rather than spend what it takes to do the job fairly and do it right. If this describes your company, be prepared to start looking for a new job. I hope your employer is ethical. You owe it to yourself to have a job that's reasonable.

Copyright © 2010 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved. Ask The Headhunter® is a registered trademark. Nick Corcodilos is president of North Bridge Group, Inc. and the author of two new e-books, How to Work with Headhunters and How Can I Change Careers? He shares his contrarian advice and hopes to learn a lot from you, too. Got questions or comments? Please join the discussion!

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com/articles/content/entry/ask_the_headhunter_how_do4

Ask The Headhunter: There's a Right Way to Say 'No' to An Offer

 by Nick Corcodilos

A Reader Asks:

Your interviewing techniques worked well and now I have two exciting job offers. Based on your suggestions, I have evaluated the people, the products and the companies' reputations and I have chosen one. Your advice on how to resign properly was great, too - it went well.

Now: What is the best way to turn down the other offer? I would like to avoid a lot of "why" questions, because my reasons are mostly due to the reputation of the company I want to join, and I "clicked" better with the manager who would be my boss.

Again, thanks.

Nick's Advice 

Glad to hear my suggestions helped you win a new job and resign an old one - I love to hear success stories. You're welcome, and thanks for your very kind words. Congratulations on getting two offers!

The right way to turn down one of the offers is on the phone, not in person. Make the call to the manager who offered the job, not to the human resources department. Here's what to say:

"I've thought about the offers I've received very carefully. The opportunity to work with you means a lot to me. However, after careful consideration I've decided that another job with a different company is more in line with my goals. So I must respectfully decline your offer. But I want to thank you very much for your faith in my abilities."

That's it. If the manager presses you, you can decline to discuss details just as politely and respectfully. "It's a better fit for me. There's really not anything else I can tell you. Thanks again for the offer."

The less you say, the better. I would definitely not tell them who the other company is, simply because it's not their business. (It's rare, but I've seen companies try to torpedo job offers from their competitors.) "I'd prefer not to divulge the name of the other company because I don't think it's appropriate to do so until I am actually working there."

In my opinion, you are required to be polite and professional. It ends there. If they get too pushy, just thank them again and gently hang up the phone.

There's one thing you can do if you'd like to leave the door open for future contact: Suggest another good candidate. That's a professional courtesy that goes a long way with some managers. "If you're interested, I'd be glad to recommend one or two other people who I believe could do a great job for you."

Just make sure you have a good candidate to recommend! Enjoy your new job! My compliments to you.

Note to readers: How have you handled this situation - turning down a job offer? Did you do it in a way that preserved your new relationship with the manager? Did the company come back at you with a counter-offer and more money? Have you ever referred someone else for a job you turned down?

Copyright © 2010 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved. Ask The Headhunter® is a registered trademark. Nick Corcodilos is president of North Bridge Group, Inc. and the author of two new e-books, How to Work with Headhunters and How Can I Change Careers? He shares his contrarian advice and hopes to learn a lot from you, too. Got questions or comments? Please join the discussion!

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com/articles/content/entry/ask_the_headhunter_there_s

Ask The Headhunter: Should I pursue a company even if it has no jobs open?

 By Nick Corcodilos

Question:

You have written that when identifying job opportunities, a person should "...find out who, exactly ... industry, companies, specific managers ... the problems, challenges and opportunities these employers are facing."

Do I do this without knowing whether they need someone or not? Am I hoping that, in the course of my research, I will discover an opening that my skills will complement even though I don't know if a specific opening exists?

Or, should I expect that if I have the skills the employer needs to make his business more profitable (whether or not he has a specific opening), he'll find a spot for me if I prove myself valuable?

Nick's Reply:

Ah, you're asking the kinds of questions I love!


"Do I do this without knowing whether they need someone or not?"



Yep. One thing should guide and motivate your research: your interest in the business, the company and the work you are researching. That's what makes you a powerful candidate and - ultimately - a desirable employee.



"Am I hoping that in the course of my research I will discover if they have an opening that my skills will complement even though I don't know if a specific opening exists?"

Yes again. It never ceases to amaze me that the typical approach to job hunting is to look for "what's available" rather than "what you want." Imagine choosing a mate that way. Or a meal. Why settle, when with a little effort you can pursue what's important to you, rather than "what's on the menu?"


"Or, should I expect that if I have the skills the employer needs to make his business more profitable (whether or not he has a specific opening), he'll find a spot for me if I prove myself valuable?"



Bingo! That's the big Ask The Headhunter lesson. If the company is healthy, it may make room for you. If not now, in the near future. If not in the future, then they might recommend you to another company. Regardless, you will have made a new friend in the industry you want to work in. At the very least, you wind up with an excellent reference.



Recently, in the course of a search, I encountered a person who I thought could be a great hire for one of my clients - but the client didn't have an open position. The company recognized "a solution in search of a problem" and promptly hired her, creating a new position. How did we pull this off? I coached the candidate to prepare a business plan describing how she could create a new role that would clearly benefit the company. They hired her, and they paid her what she asked.



This is the sort of deal that makes the world go 'round. You're getting it. Now try it!



Copyright © 2010 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved. Ask The Headhunter® is a registered trademark. Nick Corcodilos is president of North Bridge Group, Inc. and the author of two new e-books, How to Work with Headhunters and How Can I Change Careers? He shares his contrarian advice and hopes to learn a lot from you, too. Got questions or comments? Please join the discussion!

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com:80/articles/content/entry/ask_the_headhunter_should_i2

Ask the Headhunter: Is This How Online Recruiting Really Works?

A Reader Asks:

Can you help me understand this? I'm a software contractor. A year ago I started posting my resume on the Internet with three employment websites. It has been an incredible boon to my job search. Only about one out of 10 employers who call me actually has an appropriate opening, but that's been enough to keep me continuously employed at generous rates.

What has me befuddled is the number of employers who've sent me rejection letters for jobs I never even applied for. Despite the fact my resume clearly states I'm looking for contract work and won't relocate, these companies send me a letter implying I submitted my resume to them for a regular, full-time position in another part of the country!

I never submitted my resume to these companies. Clearly, they are just picking my resume up off the Internet. No harm done since I'm being turned down for jobs I wouldn't want anyway.

Don't you think this is bad PR on the part of the HR departments?

Nick's Advice:

Sometimes, HR departments don't seem aware of how such behavior reflects on their companies. You see, resumes from databases are processed electronically to make the "first cut." It's a numbers game, and that's a shame.

I think I'll go off on a rant.

Note to anyone who sends resumes to HR departments: These are the people you may wind up interviewing with. You may even wind up working with them. So think twice about how you're going to approach them.

Note to job hunters who don't want their current employers to know they're "looking:" It's wake-up time - do you know where your resume is? Unless you've paid attention to your privacy settings, your employer can find it as easily as any other employer can.

Note to vendors of resume-processing software: Is this reader describing a bug or a feature in the systems you sell to HR departments? Remember: What you're selling isn't a database. You're selling help matching people to jobs. When technologists point out that your technology is hurting, not helping, the hiring process, you ought to pay attention.

Note to CEOs: Does your HR department's mandate read, "Make our company seem inept in the eyes of the professional community from which we're trying to recruit?"

Note to boards of directors: Is your HR department is spending investor's money on a junk-mail system? How high tech.

I love it when employers proclaim that, "People are our most important asset!" Well, then, they should put people back into the recruiting and candidate selection process to avoid such nasty database mistakes - and the unintended consequence of generating really lousy PR.

Thanks for sharing this unfortunate artifact of America's Employment System. Ah, I feel better now. :-)

Copyright © 2010 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved. Ask The Headhunter® is a registered trademark. Nick Corcodilos is president of North Bridge Group, Inc. and the author of two new e-books, How to Work with Headhunters and How Can I Change Careers? He shares his contrarian advice and hopes to learn a lot from you, too. Got questions or comments? Please join the discussion!

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com:80/articles/content/entry/ask_the_headhunter_is_this

Ask the Headhunter: How Do I Create a Job For Myself?

By Nick Corcodilos

A Reader Asks:

What is your advice on approaching the president of my company to create a job that does not exist? My department is being downsized and I may be on the street in a few months. I have an idea for a position that would set up our company to compete more effectively in our market. How should I approach this subject with the president?

Nick's Advice:

Prepare. No kidding - your success will depend entirely on how well you prepare to show your president a way to boost the business to higher levels of success.

Start by creating a carefully laid-out business plan as though you were starting a new company. Here's how to psych yourself up for this in the right way: Pretend the company you're starting will contract its services to one client: the president of your current company.

You must demonstrate compellingly that you can produce profit, lower costs or boost revenue, and address critical obstacles and opportunities that will arise on the 1- 3 year horizon.

There's nothing simple or easy about this. But if that job you want is worth it, so is the work that's required to put this plan together. Your boss isn't going to "fund" your "new business" (the job you want) unless you can clearly show that what you're suggesting is feasible and that it will pay off.

Perhaps you should approach not just the president, but the chief financial officer and even the board of directors. But I like what you're doing. This is the future of work, and it's the solution to downsizings and layoffs. To survive, you must prove your value and show how you will create a positive impact for your company. Or, I'm afraid, you're not worth keeping around.

Just remember that at the level of the president and the board, the bottom line is profit. To succeed, you must address it. Given the looming downsizing, it would have been nice if you could have started on this last year, so don't wait. Get to work!

What would you do to save your job or to create a new one, if your company were downsizing?

Copyright © 2010 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved. Ask The Headhunter® is a registered trademark. Nick Corcodilos is president of North Bridge Group, Inc. and the author of two new e-books, How to Work with Headhunters and How Can I Change Careers? He shares his contrarian advice and hopes to learn a lot from you, too. Got questions or comments? Please join the discussion!

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com:80/articles/content/entry/ask_the_headhunter_how_do