How to be a good headhunter

From the links:

• http://www.myjobthoughts.com/how-to-be-a-good-headhunter/
• http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/gv980309.htm
• http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/habeaheadhunter.htm
• http://www.slideshare.net/nehagandhi1/traits-should-a-recruiter-posses-to-become-a-good-a-head-hunter
• http://corcodilos.com/blog/2808/good-headhunters-they-search-for-living-resumes

Here are useful tips:

• Headhunting is an apprentice business
• It is ALL about information and communication
• Be diligent
• Be a strong networker
• Control your business or the business will control you
• Work close to the money -- do what you NEED to do, not what you WANT to do
• Create a sense of urgency
• Do not become complacent
• Set deadlines
• Part olympic athlete, part gladiator, part olympic athlete
• Do the Math: Rely on numbers / stats
• Be excited about making sales / deals
• Have been successful in something
• Be resilient - bounce back quickly
• Aim for a win - everytime you pick up the phone
• Combine hardwork with smart work
• You can not have a 40 hour work week -- you have to work more
• Hit it hard in the morning, break, work hard, lunch, work hard, break, work hard -- 4 bursts in a work day
• Learn from the best
• Probe for answers - be inquisitive and persistent
• You learn how to do it by working with seasoned professionals
• You can't learn it by reading books alone
• Headhunting can pay well, but it is a lot of hard work
• Learn to accept rejection. Learn to hear a LOT of "No"s
• Even companies that are firing people / laying off people are hiring exceptional candidates
• Headhunting is not a boiler room type of business
• Head hunting is not dialing for dollars
• Don't waste your time
• Don't divulge confidential information to the wrong people
• Don't develop false hopes
• The cost of entry is low
• It is not easy to make a quick buck
• Understand the culture of the client company
• Keep information confidential
• Collaborate with the client
• The HR departments of many companies do not know how a business is run - Use of agencies is common when the companies can not fill positions on their own
• Good headhunters search for living resumes, not dead resumes.
• Be findable -- advertise yourself
• Don't look for key words, look for key people.
• Attend industry events.
• Don't gather dead resumes
• Some of the best headhunters work on contingency
• Contingency = getting paid only if a position is filled.
• Job boards are not always the best source of resumes
• Substance should matter more than the sizzle
• Develop strong long term relationships with companies
• Get access to jobs that are not advertised in public

From the link: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-headhunter.htm

• A headhunter is a job recruiter who specializes in matching highly skilled professionals with corporate clients.
• He or she might be an independent contractor or work through an agency where each agent specializes in particular areas of employment and possibly also in geographic areas.
• Corporations benefit from using a headhunter or a headhunting service in two ways.
• It eliminates the need to place an advertisement for the open position and then address the inevitable list of applicants, most of which will be unfit for various reasons.
• A headhunter does the tedious work of finding good candidates, providing an initial screening mechanism that saves the corporation valuable time.
• In turn, the recruiter is paid a fee if he or she is able to find the right candidate, typically a small percentage of the annual starting salary of the filled position.
• This payment arrangement encourages headhunters to build lasting, tight relationships with corporate clients. The more successful someone is in filling recruitment positions, the more likely the client company will look to him or her for other job placement opportunities. Both parties benefit mutually from this relationship, as do those seeking gainful employment.

Here are some points from the link: http://dougleschan.com/the-recruitment-guru/singapore-headhunter/singapore-headhunter-the-7-factors-you-need-to-be-successful/

7 factors to be successful as a headhunter (I do not endorse all the points; Am just relisting them):

• Good understanding of the market
• The right age -- especially if you are dealing with senior executives
• A good company brand
• Good office address
• Excellent communication skills
• Never say die attitude

5 steps to becoming a headhunter. From the link: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/become-headhunter-companies-2541.html

• Select an industry or area with which you are familiar
• Research specific companies you would like to work with
• Write a letter of introduction and follow by a phone call
• Follow up and request for an interview with the company
• Look for candidates and start collecting resumes / contacting people