What's the Best Way to Get Noticed by an Executive Search Firm?
The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday,
28 May 2002 - ©2002 by Dow Jones & Company, Inc.-Many professionals who are looking for work say they
have had mixed results in connecting with recruiters. But search executives say
individuals need to understand the nature of the business before they begin
their outreach efforts.
First, job seekers should understand recruiters "work for the client, not the candidate," says Marian Alexander DeBerry, a vice president at Boulware & Associates Inc., an executive-search firm in Chicago. "Since we're driven by the searches we're doing, we can't really help you unless we're working on something that fits your background."
Recruiters also find referrals attractive. "If
someone that we know and regard as credible refers them, we'll often take the
time to get to know them or have a conversation with them, rather than just the
perfunctory acknowledgment," says Jack Groban, a partner at Larsen,
Whitney, Blecksmith & Zilliacus Inc., a Los Angeles search firm.
Diane Blaha, an unemployed health-care-finance
professional from Nashua, N.H., has found success with a targeted approach. She
has connected with 10 recruiters who work specifically in her field, speaks to
each of them once a week and has gotten some good leads. "If you know your
exact direction and you know what you want, they will work with you," the
52-year-old says.
Others go the mass-mailings route. Last fall, Tom
Douglas, an unemployed corporate-development professional from Chicago, e-mailed
his resume to more than 1,500 corporate recruiters. In the subject heading, he
wrote, "How can I help you?"
Eventually, he received about 20 responses. Though a
job didn't materialize, Mr. Douglas, 54, has established a continuing
relationship with some of the recruiters and has even referred other people.
"I feel like was a worthwhile experiment," he says.
Many recruiters say Ms. Blaha's approach of targeting
certain recruiters who specialize in her field is more effective than a general
e-mail blitz to hundreds of recruiters. But they also say Mr. Douglas's efforts
of referring other people to his recruiter contacts ultimately will serve him
well.
"Since a search professional is always looking
for good candidates, presenting yourself as a resource for the firm is
definitely a good move," says Dan Picard, founder and chief executive of
Picard International Ltd., a small New York search firm. "The candidate has
to create an opportunity for the search guy to win."
Some Web sites promise to distribute your resume to
numerous recruiters. But many recruiters don't take resumes that arrive via
these services too seriously.
"We know these are just
mass mailings distributed to everyone in the world, so we just bleep'
them," says Janet Jones - Parker, managing director of a Chapel Hill, N.C.,
search firm specializing in the executive-recruiting industry.
Those who are looking to make a career change
shouldn't expect too much from a recruiter. "We're not very helpful with
[job transitions], so going to a recruiter is not the best use of your
time," says Regina Glocker, a partner at Westwood Partners LLC, a New York
search firm. "When you're talking to headhunters, just focus on your core
strengths -- that's where we'll be most helpful."
-KEMBA J. DUNHAM
Read more from The Wall Street Journal at http://www.wsj.com.