Interview with a Headhunter

No one wins or fills a job by following the traditional rules. Instead they succeed by beating the system because they know the best way to handle a few make-or-break situations and therefore set themselves above the competition.

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SIDEBAR: Make Your Own Luck

by Sue Bushell

Forget luck. Forget what the human resources experts have tried to teach you. It is all bureaucratic bunk, according to management consultant Nick Corcodilos, author of Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing The Interview to Win The Job.

No one wins or fills a job by following the traditional rules, Corcodilos says. Instead they succeed by beating the system because they know the best way to handle a few make-or-break situations and therefore set themselves above the competition.

"Most advice that's available to job hunters comes from so-called 'human resources experts' and 'career counsellors'. Their advice is academic; they have never earned a nickel that was contingent on winning a job offer for anyone," Corcodilos says. "Whether you win a job offer or not, they collect their counselling fee, and in most cases, a salary from their corporate human resources job.

"Headhunters earn their fees only when they have successfully won a job offer for the candidate they have presented to the client, and after the candidate accepts the position and starts work. Headhunters' methods must work. If they don't, headhunters don't eat. It's as simple as that."

Corcodilos says the headhunter is totally focused on making a perfect match between the candidate and the work. There is nothing "shotgun" about his or her approach. There is no luck. No reliance on any rules. What matters is what the client needs to make her or his business wildly successful - and the headhunter sets out to find and deliver that in the form of the perfect worker.

So what should you do if you're one of the "lucky" IT execs who's been contacted by a headhunter? Here's some advice from an executive recruitment consultant:

1. If approached by a headhunter, ensure you are in an environment where you can talk and you feel comfortable enough to listen and concentrate on the conversation.

2. If you are not interested in the position, be honest and up front straight away. Do not feel pressured into agreeing to have your resume sent but on the other hand, if you are actively looking for a role, do not be too selective or the recruiter may stop calling you with opportunities.

3. As part of the Privacy Act a recruiter must always ask permission before they send your resume to a potential employer. In building a relationship with a good headhunter you can be confident in the fact that you will always know where your resume is being sent and you'll be informed and well briefed about potential interviews.

4. Keep in touch. Keep your headhunter informed of promotions, career moves or any other developments on your resume so that when another appropriate position becomes available, they can contact you with up-to-date information.