I’ve never heard another headhunter say it so well. You point out the crucial differences among headhunters and reveal that job hunters do have a choice. Patience matters, as does forming solid relationships with good headhunters for the long term.

Coincidentally, I’m working on a guide to help people see just that. I hope to publish in the next month or so. Part of my intent is to educate people in order to expose “the scum of the earth.”

Thanks for posting!

This takes time. As one person, I make as many calls as possible in a 24 hour period and often work around the clock in order to prepare for these important calls. I’m armed with more than a job description – I’m ready with key goals within the first 90 days of hire, the culture, the personalities of the team and the good, bad and ugly of the job and the company’s history and future viability as an employer.

If two of my competitors are scum of the earth who aren’t as prepared as me but contact the same candidate before I’ve had a chance to – then the great candidate misses out on being the most prepared, interviewing the best and winning the offer they want, among other things.

If you receive a call from a recruiter about a job, wait before returning it. You’re not going to miss out if you don’t return the call within 24 hours or even 48 hours. You can bet that if one recruiter has this job order one or two have it as well. And if they don’t, they can obtain the requisition if they are any good.

What this means to you, is that you DO have choices. You can actually pick a headhunter you like, respect but most importantly, trust, to represent you if you have an interest in the job. This isn’t about first come, first serve. It’s about your career, and how to best position yourself. A good headhunter will help you to do that, and will be someone you’ll want to hire to work with you.

By working with anyone who happens to call you about a job that is likely shared with other recruiters, it just perpetuates the bad recruiters remaining in business, and gives companies the perception that these people are actually good.

In any market, there are never going to be 20 people to do one job, at that particular location, with the right skillset and salary. The numbers are far less than that. If you help us good ones find you when we need you, such as in the case above, you’ll feel much better about the experience.

Good headhunters don’t accept unsolicited resumes. They don’t help people find jobs. Even when they’re conducting a search, they’re not inclined to consider resumes people submit. Why? Because they’d spend all their day reviewing resumes. They’re paid to go find the people their clients need. If they were to consider primarily those who “come along” (no offense intended), they’d be no better than the job boards. (And many headhunters are no better.)

You don’t get your resume in front of a headhunter. You cultivate relationships with good headhunters through people they work with. It takes time and effort. Just like cultivating managers you’d like to work with.

What I’m saying is, lousy headhunters take what comes along – they don’t want to work. Good headhunters rely on the network of credible contacts. So, don’t rely on headhunters to find you a job. It’s not what they do. But if you can meet some good ones, over time that may pay off.

Honest headhunters will tell you that’s how they work. Others are glad to get your resume and a million others, which they just funnel indiscriminately to their “clients”.

I would respectfully disagree. I think what matters most is what jobs the headhunter has for you. Sure, you don’t want to waste your time with a headhunter that doesn’t know what they are doing, is rude, or whatever, but if that person has your dream job, by all means you should work with them.

I have known too many people who have gotten great jobs through really bad headhunters. If that person can get you in the door, by all means, but just know that they will not be much help in the process. This is not a perfect solution, but as stated in the post, the headhunter is not working for you, they are working for their client. Only the job seeker can look out for themselves in the end.