How to get on a HeadHunter's radar

Headhunters maintain strong relationships with companies looking to fill positions. A lot of times a hiring manager will go directly through a headhunter without ever formally posting a job listing - head hunters have access to an a pool of jobs that aren’t always available on a companies career website, making them a great resource for finding a new job. So if you haven’t already put your resume in the hands of a headhunter, keep reading to learn how to get on their radar

If you are lucky enough to receive a cold call from a headhunter, I would say always take the call. Ask about what they are looking for even if you are gainfully employed. It’s much harder to find a recruiter, so it certainly doesn’t hurt when one finds you. Who knows, maybe come comp day, you might want to actually contact them...

Getting past the “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” problem
Headhunters already have an extensive database of candidates and online tools like linkedin that may make traditional cold-calling and emailing seem pointless. But it’s all about the approach here. If you are just sending a headhunter a quick email with no information about yourself, and no referral, they have little incentive to invest time and effort in you. Here's how to get past it:

Ask around
First thing’s first - Ask around. Having a direct referral to a recruiter is very helpful and makes you seem like a more viable candidate. If a friend has worked with a recruiter in the past, ask them to reach out to their on contact on your behalf and copy you.

Help Recruiters find you
Have a robust linkedin profile to become visible on professional social networking sites

• Join linkedin groups and be an active contributor to discussions. This will help you network with people more senior than you who could be in a position to hire you and it doesn’t hurt that recruiters may check discussion threads.
• Make sure you list the correct industry on your profile. You can list one or more related ones to help increase your chances of being found via a keyword search
• Make sure you can be found - have the appropriate privacy settings
• Recruiters also might look at how many connections you have and who they are with. Are you connecting with college buddies or professionals in your industry?

Find HeadHunters in your industry
Do simple searches to find headhunters in your fields and desired location, finding track record for placements and what kinds of firms they place in will help you find the right headhunters to get in touch with. Similar searches should also be done on LinkedIn.

Focus your resume
On average, a recruiter is going to spend less than 30 seconds looking at your resume, so make it concise with a clear visual hierarchy of past, relevant experience, skills, and education. If you’re trying to break into finance with little to no experience, highlight:

• quantitative skills (always transferrable and always in demand)
• athletic experience (showing team playing skills, the ability to handle pressure and juggle competing priorities)
• student led organizations that you were apart of
• relevant financial or technical coursework

And once you’ve found a Headhunter...
Be Honest. Resume padding is a necessary evil, but don’t overstate your level of experience, don’t lie about previous jobs, or your reasons for wanting a new one. Recruiters use the information you provide them to match you to a very specific job description. After all, their name is attached to you once you get placed and their pay is typically contingent upon you being at said job for a minimum of 6 months. You lying about your experience and job preferences could easily put that at risk and quickly sour the relationship

Maintain a good relationship with the recruiter once you do get in contact with one. Just as important as getting on their radar is staying on their radar. Keep an open line of communication going. Check in periodically and if you have friends that are interested send them over to your recruiter. As my good friend Haley Joel once said, “pay it forward”.