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5.1 Getting in front of the headhunters

"It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you". The radar

* To be on a headhunter’s radar, you need to be in the places that headhunters look. And headhunters, or more accurately their researchers (the highly skilled people whose job it is to identify potential candidates for the headhunter) look in a number of places:
* Their existing database of contacts - either to find potential candidates, or to find ‘sources’ (i.e. warm contacts who may not be right for the job but could act as an introduction to someone who is)
* The press
* Target companies – companies pre-agreed with the client that the headhunter will contact directly / and network through to find the right individual
* Company websites (e.g. the ‘Management Team’ section) or in annual reports, or in press releases on the website
* Industry directories, both online and offline
* Increasingly, CV databases of reputable executive websites
* Social networking sites – most notably LinkedIn

The essence of getting onto the ‘radar’ is to become visible. That means:  Presence on the web

If you haven’t done so already create a profile on Linked In. And then keep it up to date.

Consider registering your CV with executive job boards such as:

Exec-appointments - www.exec-appointments.com
Times online - www.timesonline.com
Jobs Telegraph - www.jobs.telegraph.co.uk
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com
FT - www.ft.com/
Executives on the Web - www.executivesontheweb.com
Executive-i - www.executive-i.com
Jobserve - www.jobserve.com
Jobsite - www.jobsite.com
Monster - www.monster.co.uk
eFinancial Careers - www.efinancialcareers.co.uk
Gold jobs - www.goldjobs.co.uk
Silver jobs - www.silverjobs.com

If your name is not on your company’s website, make a case for getting it on there if it is possible.

Consider setting up a Blog. But consider it carefully; blogs are really effective at raising your profile, but only if you have something (interesting) to say and you say it on a regular basis.

Contacting headhunters directly:

Headhunters do respond to people contacting them directly, it just needs to be done in a targeted way

You can find a list of headhunters in the industry bible – The Executive Grapevine http://www.askgrapevine.com/index.php. At almost 300 UK pounds it’s not cheap, but it is available at libraries.

A much more targeted (i.e. effective) way of finding relevant headhunters is to speak with people who work in the same industry as you

Make sure the headhunter does actually cover your particular skills area. If you’re a CEO of a tech company sending your details onto a headhunter which specialises in banking you are likely to be wasting both yours and the headhunter’s time

Find the right person to send the CV. Avoid sending emails to ‘generic’ email addresses such as info@company.com cv@company.com etc. You can often source the name of the consultant off the headhunter’s website. Also many headhunters maintain personal websites on social networking sites like LinkedIn

If the headhunter has a website where you can register your details, do go ahead and do it, but don’t let that stop you contacting a specific name

Don’t be afraid to follow up your submission with a phone call. This can be a good way to get feedback on your CV. Don’t be afraid to follow up with a reminder a number of months later. In both cases be very, very careful to position this so that you don’t over keen.

When contacting headhunters avoid presumptive statements like ‘I will contact you to arrange a meeting’ or similar. Good candidates are a headhunter’s life-blood – if you have found the right person to send your details through to and your skills are right you will be contacted.

 Iif you know someone who works in a similar capacity to you and who has worked with a headhunter, get a referral from that person into the headhunter.

Getting in the press:

Use every possible opportunity to get quoted in the press and industry journals.

Other points

Make sure your internal telephone directory (both on and off-line) is up to date with your correct job title

Make sure your job title is ‘externally recognisable’. Having high visibility, but an incomprehensible job title, means your profile will not be raised.

Make sure you are consistent with what you call yourself. Headhunters are increasingly using multiple methods to ID people. If you’re quoted as being “Anthony” in the press, but “Tony” on the website and “Tone” on LinkedIn the picture built of you will be fragmented. The same goes for your job title

5.2 Getting the best from Job Fairs and Exhibitions

Many job seekers tend to overlook job fairs. They can be crowded, busy, competitive and confusing events. But they offer you the opportunity to contact many potential employers all within one place, and they can help you land a job.

Some ideas on how to get the most out of these events:

1. Do advance research. Your goal is to target the most promising employers at upcoming job fairs. To do that, you need to know who those employers are and what they offer. Usually, the promotional materials or advertisements for job fairs will list participating employers and the general types of jobs they have open. Get online and search for information about the companies you are interested in. Knowing more about the companies than the other job seekers who visit their booths will help you make a memorable impression. The more you know, the better.

2. Bring enough CVs. Bring at least 25 copies of your CV (more if it's a large event).

3. Be prepared to fill out applications. Most companies will not accept a CV instead of an application. So even if you provide them with one you'll probably be asked to fill out an application form, too. Be sure to bring a pen and a " personal data sheet" with the information you'll need to complete job applications on the spot. This is better than taking the applications home and sending them back later, as many job seekers will do. You'll beat them to the punch!

4. Dress for success. First impressions are important. Just because job fairs tend to be friendly, informal events, don't be too casual. Dress and act professionally, be enthusiastic, and remember to smile.

5. Arrive early. Pick up a booth-location map and plan your route. By arriving early, you may be able to get in and out before it gets too crowded. Visit your targeted companies first, then "shop around" and do some networking.

6. Think "Quality" over "Quantity." It's much better to spend quality time talking with only a few, well-targeted employers who are looking for your specific skills, than to drop off your CV at every booth you see.

7. Be prepared for interviews. Some companies may want to do short, on-the-spot interviews at the job fair. Be prepared to talk about your best selling points, the assets and skills you will bring to the company. Doing research, as suggested in Step 1, will help you to design your answers to meet the companies' specific needs. As the interview is wrapping up, remember to ask what the next steps are.

8. Keep track of where you submit your CVs. Collect business cards and make a list of the companies you apply for. Jot notes about conversations you have with representatives or topics discussed during interviews. This will help you when following up later.

9. Send thank-you letters. Send thank-you letters within 24-48 hours to each of the companies/representatives you spoke with. Even if there was no real interview, doing this will help you to stand out in their minds among the hundreds of job seekers who visited their booth during the job fair. Tell them how much you appreciated the time they took to talk with you and answer your questions. Mention the name or location of the fair and the positions you discussed, and reiterate your interest in working for their companies.

10. Follow up. Depending on their answers to your "what are the next steps" question (see Step 7), follow up appropriately with the companies for which you applied.

Follow these steps, and that busy, crowded job fair may just land you the job of your dreams!

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