• Being headhunted ‘just happens’ – very rarely…most people work very hard at it.
• Headhunting is only for very senior positions. No, more than ever it is applying to £75K - £250K roles.
• Headhunting is a dying industry – to be replaced by the internet. No, the internet’s reach is great but headhunting is about targeting – very different.
• The web has revolutionised headhunting. Social networking is a powerful way of accessing candidates directly and gaining recommendations. Most senior people have commentary on them freely available if you search their name on one of the search engines. Try it yourself and put your own name in. You must embrace the internet and recognise the advantage it brings you and of course the negatives that may emerge.
• Headhunters live in wood panelled offices at the top of ivory towers. No, more so than ever headhunters need to be open, approachable and accessible.
• Being ‘sweet’ with the headhunters is the only thing I need to be to have a great career. Alas not, research says that the majority of career moves are actually made through personal networking.
• Employers are using search engines to find information about prospective employees and have utilised both professional and social networking tools and in some instances have discovered that the professional person is somewhat different from the social animal. Be aware.