Certifications and IT jobs/Salaries

Author

Head Hunters

stacy928

2002-02-28, 5:49 pm

Does anyone have luck using Head Hunters to find a job?

cassie

2002-03-01, 9:48 am

Hi Stacy,

I've used employment agencies in the past but actual Head Hunters - hmmm. My understanding is that employees DON'T use them to get a job. Rather, EMPLOYERS use Head Hunters to get the best employees (the ones who never have to job-hunt!!) for the positions they want to fill!

I think you have to be top of the field before a head hunter will come to you.

What do others know / think about this topic?

Cassie

Nicole

2002-03-01, 10:36 am

It's really a terminology thing. There are agencies that work for employers -- i.e. the companies pay them to find employees, and then there are agencies that work for potential employees. They are NOT cheap, and they usually only do would-be executive types looking for a primo package. Not many folks could cough up $2-5k for a help desk placement.

I think you'll find both kinds of agencies calling themselves the same thing, but they're easy to spot. Recruiters for employees don't post job ads, and they ask for money almost immediately

RichardJW

2002-03-01, 10:45 am

I want one ... bad! But they probably wouldn't want me.

cassie

2002-03-01, 10:52 am

Anyone who wants a Head Hunter to call them might want to do some of the following:

1. Become a top expert in a specialized field.

2. Get articles / books published on your chosen technical specialization.

3. Even write a regular column for a technical journal (I have a colleague here who does just that!)

4. Join user forums or other relevant groups. Make sure you have a professional looking business card - if your company doesn't supply one then make your own - and network like crazy!

5. Even give talks at these forums!

6. As you make contact with influential people in your industry / specialization, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEM. This is EASY to do with email.

7. Ran out of ideas for now - anyone else?!?!

Cassie

pkupchik

2002-03-01, 5:20 pm

Is that all it takes?

pkupchik

2002-03-01, 5:29 pm

Stacy, you might want ot take a look at some of the comments in the "Is it too late?" thread.

Bottom line is, there's no easy way to get a job right now. Headhunters (recruiters, agencies, etc.) are one of the options you can use; but the only way to effectively "use" them is to make them want to use you. The best you can do with them is to let them know you're there, and hope they get a client that needs you. Like anything else, it't hit-or-miss. If they have something, you're golden. If not, keep looking.

If you happen to find the agency that's hoarding all the good jobs, let me know.

Good luck.

mrfixit

2002-03-01, 8:43 pm

Just went on the unemployment line myself today. (Some VP wanted a payraise, so they cut 1000 jobs.

) I knew it was coming, just didn't know when, so I had already been getting my resume out to different agencies. Sort of a stop gap measure, if you will, and I already have 3 recuriters vying for me!

With any luck I will be back among the employed within the next two to three weeks!

My advice on job hunting in this market; post your resume on as many of the tech job boards as you can, because they don't always advertise the best jobs. I interviewed for one two weeks ago, they are still interviewing, that was from my resume on one of the tech boards. And it was not posted on this board, or any other, I looked at all of them and never found anything close! So, tech job boards do work, if you keep your resume up on them, and up to date! JMO

pkupchik

2002-03-01, 9:47 pm

Funny you should mention that.

I was posting my resume all over the place, until about 3 different people told me not to bother. They told me that companies were recieving so many resumes sent to them, that they weren't bothering to look through the posted ones. Then this afternoon, while I was filling out some paperwork at the agency that just got me a temp job, I overheard one of the agents who was in the process of searching some of the job boards for resumes to try to find somebody for an open position. (I didn't catch what type of position.)

AudiRdstrTT

2002-03-06, 12:44 pm

Yes, My uncle is a CFO (Cheif Finacial Officer) for a hospital. He has had Head hunters get ahold of him for multiple jobs and everytime they call him he has to move. He has worked for 7 different hospitals in 7 different states, and along with that he has gotten paid more every time. So the only thing i know about head hunters from my experience is that they look for you, you dont look for them.

CyberDude

2002-03-11, 7:32 am

I have registered with so many agencies during the past year I have lost count as to how many. I give them a week or so and then buzz them. They never contact me, and have never landed me a job. I will be unemployed again (after enjoying using my holiday and accumalted overhours (7 weeks in total)) at the end of the month and have nowhere to place my workboots, even though I have been searching for the last year.

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