Conversations with a Headhunter - a career in pursuit with Annette Kinnear

Chapter 1
 
FirstStep.me spoke to expert career Headhunter and author Annette Kinnear on what individuals should be looking for in terms of seeking employment.  
 
As a headhunter, what are the ways that you source talent?
 
Headhunting typically starts with creating a source list of existing contacts from the profession we seek, public profiles from the internet and the press, as well as target companies where we suspect we will find the right candidates.  We start telephoning the ‘warm’ contacts and request referrals. When these dry up, we go into the cold calling phase. We call up the candidates we have identified and give them a brief reason for our call. As quickly as possible, we establish basic suitability and interest levels. It is important that we can be sure the candidate is seriously interested, not merely ‘window shopping’ lest we waste our time. If the basic criteria is met, we request a resume and make an appointment for a personal or a further telephonic interview once the CV has been assessed.  

What are the ways to market oneself in terms of individuals looking for employment?
 
True Headhunters are rarely interested in applications from candidates unless they happen to fit a specific assignment on which they are working. They have to ‘find’ you. To achieve this, it is advisable to expand one’s public profile. You can do this by participating in professional forums, registering in professional networks and giving interviews about the topics of your specialty. You can also post your resume on career sites, as many headhunters access these to source candidates. If a headhunter calls you, establish a friendly relationship with him even if you are not interested in the position he is offering. He may then keep in contact with you for further opportunities.
 
When posting your profile on a career site, it has to have the same aesthetic standard as if a decision maker was reading it, but also be sure to write it as though it was intended for a search engine, not the human brain. This means you need to include important terms which the recruiters use when they do their searches. For instance if you are parts buyer. Vary the text to be sure to include terms such as procurement, purchasing, supplier negotiations.      
 
About: Annette Kinnear is the author of  “Your Career Your Life”, Penguin 2009 and works as an international career coach. Her latest book “Headhunting – Bitte husten Sie, falls Ihr Chef gerade mithört” was launched in Germany in April 2013 and offers many valuable tips for candidates and employers that work with recruiters. 16 real life stories provide entertaining and humorous insight into the secret world of a headhunter.  
 
Headhunting. Bitte husten Sie, falls Ihr Chef gerade mithört. ISBN: 978-3862652143, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 259 pages, 9.90 Euro. www.annettekinnear.de