How to get into the Head of a Headhunter

19 November 2012

2 minute read

How to get into the Head of a Headhunter

A former vice-president and controller for a television network wanted to become an accounting, finance and auditing consultant for a financial services firm. To launch his new career path, he built relationships with several financial services recruiters. One relationship – with a recruiter at Winter Wyman - led to his current assignment at Gerson Lehrman, a company that provides primary research services to financial and investment institutions.

We all know recruiters play a vital role in the job search for financial professionals, which is why it's important to understand how best to engage them.

Here are a tips to keep in mind:

The recruiter doesn’t work for you

Recruiters are typically hired by companies to find suitable candidates.

“You need to realize that they’re not there to help you get a job,” says Tom Sefcik, who recently landed a position as a group controller at a private company in Birmingham, Ala. with the assistance of a private equity executive recruiter. “Once you understand that and position yourself as someone that can help them do their job they are more willing to help you in your efforts.”

Find a recruiter who aligns with your background

“A recruiter should know their field and be somewhat of an expert in that field,” says Katy Spriano, principal staffing manager in the accounting and financing contracts division at WinterWyman, who was instrumental in placing the former TV executive at his current assignment with a financial firm.

Get beyond an email relationship

“I probably get email introduction dozens of times a week if not a day,” says Jim Etling, vice-president and practice leader of private equity practice at Charles Aris, Inc., a Greensboro, NC-based executive recruiting firm. “What will get my attention is a phone call that says here’s what I’ve done. Email submissions go in one eye and out the other.”

Become a resource to the recruiter

Most recruiting firms don’t get paid unless they place candidates in the positions. So Sefcik says he tries to come up with ways to help make recruiters’ jobs easy. “At the end of every call I say is there anything I can do to help you fill a position,” he says.

AUTHORLekan Oguntoyinbo

Insider Comment

1 comments

he
headhunter2
7 December 2012
Don't ask about a job and then try and apply directly - you'll get blacklisted. I'm still ignoring candidates from two years ago, and they're still unemployed.
Don't write a CV that implies you can do everything. Recruiters are looking for equity analysts to do equity analyst jobs etc, if your CV says Equity Analyst and Commodities Analyst, then you are only half of either and all of none. Take that as general career advice too.
If you try to change career directions emphasise the skills you have that can do this.
Don't waste space on wishy washy words that anyone can write 'enthusiastic', 'team-player', 'diligent', 'analytical'... meaningless when you say it about yourself. just facts please.
Don't use a 'skills' style CV to brush over things. Personally I like to see at which company and in which year you did something. A list of companies worked at preceded by a one page list of skills suggests you are hiding something, or trying to hide the fact the skill noted was from 20 years ago.
Don't miss off dates, such as date of degree.
Send your CV in word format!!! PDF does not help anyone. Some clients have computer systems that can 'read' CVs - these work much better for word docs. We also need to change things on your CV, for example it's illegal to have date of birth, and we want to put our fancy logos on the top.
Don't tell recruiters where you are interviewing they will send someone better to the firm to take your other job opportunity. Good recruiters like me need to know the timing of such events to make sure our clients are quick enough - but we don't need to know who with - only unscrupulous firms short of work will ask who with.
Don't waste time on a recruiter who is rude to you or pushy. Either you are a fool wasting their time, or they will turn out to be untrustworthy, just trying to make a quick fee. Go to a specialist in a niche who is committed to their long-term reputation with niche clients they can't screw over.
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