Job-seekers: How to Find and Utilize Executive Recruiters

Starting a new career can be quite intimidating, and can be a lot for one person to handle. Working with a professional recruiter or executive search agent can make the job search process much easier, and building a relationship with an executive recruiter can expose you to opportunities you may have otherwise missed.

Executive recruiters, sometimes called executive headhunters or executive search agencies, research and employ qualified individuals for their client businesses. The recruiter acts as an independent contact between potential candidates and client companies to fill positions they may be offering within their company.

The first thing to remember about executive recruiters is that they do not work for you. They work for the client businesses, which are trying to find employees. In other words, recruiters do not find jobs for people, they find people for jobs. Do not approach the task of finding an executive recruiter as if you want to “hire” him or her. Rather, try to approach the task as if you are trying to “build a relationship” with the recruiter.

Recruiters are looking to find candidates who will be easy to “sell” to their clients. By this, I mean they are wanting someone with the capabilities, assets, strengths, and experience that will convince their clients that they have made a good decision.

Executive recruiters are under no obligation to contact you. Their job is to find qualifies candidates who fit their specific needs, so make sure you find a recruiter who specializes in your particular field. They want and need to find qualified candidates to ensure their own reputation and success, so try and put yourself in the right place, and the rest should fall into line.

You will only be contacted by a recruiter if you are a STRONG match for the recruiters current assignment, or if the recruiter decides you will be a skillful candidate for a future assignment. This is why finding recruiters who specialize in your field is so important.

Be sure to research the recruiters background. Consider using only qualified and reputable search agents. Find out about their operations, history, reputation, and experience. Independent sources and unbiased reviews from neutral sources are the best way to learn about a recruiters capabilities and advantages. It is possible to find recruiter directories on the Internet which provide reviews of the recruiters. You can also search for the recruiter’s profile online.

Another way to find recruiters in your field is by asking experienced professionals in your network to refer you. This can also be done with other people you know in your industry who you believe may have these contacts.

Also, be sure to call the top employers in your industry, and ask the HR department what search firm they use. This can sometimes be an extraordinary help in finding the executive recruiter that can help you land a position within that company.