Initiating interview process through headhunter or contacts at firms?

I spent a lot of time networking during college with people at the firms at which I'd like to work.

My question is this: when I am ready to start interviewing, do I reach out to my contacts directly and ask if they have any opportunities I can interview for, or do I inform headhunters of my connections and initiate the interview process through the headhunter?

8 Comments
 

Thanks for your answer. That's good to hear as that's exactly why I've been networking.

What I'm asking though is when I want to interview at a firm, do I email my contact at the firm and ask if they have any job opportunities, or do I tell my headhunter about my contact, and have the headhunter reach out to the firm to initiate the interview process?

 
"Making Gravy" Thanks for your answer. That's good to hear as that's exactly why I've been networking.

What I'm asking though is when I want to interview at a firm, do I email my contact at the firm and ask if they have any job opportunities, or do I tell my headhunter about my contact, and have the headhunter reach out to the firm to initiate the interview process?

Case by case..... no one approach. I personally have never gone through a headhunter. I have gotten added to the headhunter list via the firm and may ultimately end up working with them but never start w/ headhunter.

I've also just been in processes via referral or direct reach out. Often times the headhunter contracts have carveouts for firm sourced resumes

 

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