Working with Executive Recruiters
An important interview that isn’t with an employer
Executive recruiters aren’t able to invest their time and expertise in candidates they don’t think they can sell to employees.
That’s why one of your most important interviews is the one you have with the an executive recruiter or headhunter.
If the executive recruiter isn’t impressed, they aren’t going to send you out on job interviews with their client companies.
Here’s how you can increase your odds of having executive recruiters pass your resume on to a client company that they are working with to fill a position:
- Headhunters want to present candidates that already have gained related experience
- Recognize that executive recruiters aren’t an appropriate resource for you if you hope to change career fields, if you want to work in an industry where you have no related experience, or if you want to pursue opportunities where you lack the level of education that position requires
- Write a cover letter that clearly indicates the type of position you are seeking and provides target job titles
- Make sure your resume contains keywords that are applicable to the position you’re seeking
- Provide your resume in the format the executive recruiter requests, whether it be a Word attachment to an email, an ASCII attachment to an email, or through an online application process on the recruiter’s website
- Make sure that you don’t waste everyone’s time by approaching executive recruiters who do not place individuals in the type of position you are seeking or in your target geography
If you meet the requirements for a job position that they are actively sourcing at the time you submit your resume, an executive recruiter will contact you immediately.
If not, don’t expect to hear from them. Your resume will be added to their database to be considered for future opportunities.
Additional Job Search Resources
