Top 3 Reasons to Not Use a Headhunter
Posted by Saundra Lee on Wed, Nov 30, 2011 @ 04:28 AM
You are thinking I must be out of my mind to tell you this since I am an Accounting Headhunter, but I’ll let the cat out of the bag. There are certainly instances when it is a complete waste of your time to use a Headhunter.
Here are 3 Reasons NOT to use a Headhunter
1. You are making a career change. If you are an Accountant looking to do something different or doing something different and looking to get into accounting, using a Headhunter is most likely NOT going to be fruitful. Headhunters are always industry and/or discipline specific so they do “apples to apples” only. Since I am a Recruiting Professional, I could not go to a Restaurant Headhunter and tell him or her that, because I am a seriously good cook, I would like to work as a Chef. Well, I could but it would not make much sense.
2. You lack the credentials in demand in your industry. Certainly there are some exceptions to this if you have been able to build some skills that are in demand in your industry. The tougher the job market, the more companies reach out to Headhunters to help them find the credentials. So, if you are an Accountant with a highly sought after CPA, you can and should utilize a Headhunter to help you find the best of the best opportunities.
3. Your resume is all over the place. If you are posted on the job boards and have not kept track of everywhere you have sent your resume, chances are, a Headhunter’s hands are tied.
A Headhunter is not going to be able to present you to a company that you have submitted to prior.
A duplicate submission or being posted for the whole world to see will not be favorable to your reputation as a job seeker. It will make you appear to be “low hanging fruit” aka desparate. Perception is everything, so keep a spreadsheet of EVERY company that has received your resume with the date submitted and who submitted it.
Getting a job in all 3 of these scenarios is possible if you take the right steps on your own. Getting hired on your own just requires specific strategies, which anyone can learn if they are willing to put in the time and effort. Searching for a job in the current job market is such a different process with different obstacles than it was even just a few years ago. One of the main reasons I blog and facilitate workshops is to help everyone make the careers of their dreams a reality.
Whether you want to use a Headhunter or not, we can help. Inquire about hosting a Dubin & Lee career workshop or check out the opportunities with our hiring client companies.
Posted by:Saundra LeePresidentDubin & Lee