What Is A Headhunter?

A headhunter is someone who recruits people on behalf of a company or corporation, usually a person who works on contingency contracts. Generally they may or may not work for an agency, but most of them have many clients and act as a third party representative.

Headhunters can act alone or work through an agency as a form of independent type contractor who liaises between companies or corporations (clients) and the potential candidates for specific job positions. They generally specialize only in relationships with their clients, searching for potential candidates or doing both. Most headhunters deal with either full-time or permanent, contracted, directly hired, or a combination of all types of positions. Their main source of research is usually done online.

Contract work headhunters (hourly pay with temporary assignments) divide their work into 2 groups, including finding new clients and bringing in new work, and also candidate recruitment. Both consulting and staffing companies generally use headhunters because the nature of their work is contractual in nature. Most headhunters doing contract work are paid via a salary, but only get a bonus or commission based on the percentage of placements made.

Full-time job headhunters are the most common form. However, it is interesting that the term headhunter is not a term that most of them like. Usually headhunters have a high level of knowledge of their industry and specialize in one sense, but use a broader spectrum in another. They can place ads or inquiry calls without the use of individual knowledge of the person they are contacting, outside of their job position or basic background. Their search is more generalized than regular recruiters in that they look for basic criterion in job roles and match them up with a wide variety of candidates versus more exacting fits. In fact, as headhunters generally work in a multitude of agencies or go solo occasionally, they have received their name in the past because they used to poach clients away from agencies.

Also, headhunters deal with varied levels of management and executives, but usually and not exclusively mid-level positions. They have extensive contacts, sometimes globally, but usually local and thus have a much better grasp on what is going on in their local area than regular recruiters. However, their procedures are not that much different from regular recruiters in that they do their candidate searches, compile lists of potential candidates, interview candidates and forward the best of the group to their clients.

Headhunters, though most do not like the name as it implies that they poach clients, which most modern ones do not do, are a form of executive recruiter whose searches are more focused on local candidates than global ones. They use similar methods to regular recruiters, but they work generally with less specified criterion for job positions for their many clients and generally make database lists of potential candidates that are both well-suited and possibly suited for the jobs concerned. Though a lot of headhunters deal mainly with mid-level management and/or executive positions, some do cover a much broader range. They include two types, those covering contract workers or those candidates that will be paid wages for positions that are usually temporary, attracting mainly consulting and staffing companies in their area, and full-time and permanent workers or those candidates that will go onto salaried positions in companies ranging from small businesses to large corporations. 

Generally speaking though, headhunters are contingency executive recruiters and work for salaries with bonuses for their placements, unlike the retainment executive recruiters who are paid on a fee basis only. Most companies do prefer to work with retainment executive recruiters versus headhunters or contingency recruiters simply because they are considered to be much more reputable, detail orientated and research candidates based on much more specific criterion to find the best fit for client job positions, including specified qualifications, experiences, skill sets, ability to work in a client's specific work environment and bring far more assets to the workplace.

Headhunters Secrets To Landing Your Next Job

Headhunters are hardly given a considered by most people. This is because many think using headhunters simply does not apply to them. Wrongly they believe it only applies to those in professional jobs or highly paid ones. This could not be further from the truth. And because of this many miss out on jobs that they could otherwise be doing. A lot has changed over the years with the development of the internet. Many are now being headhunted for even admin jobs.

Headhunters is your shortcut to many of the jobs never advertised

The benefit of being head hunted is you have much more of a chance to landing the job you want right from the start. This is because there will be less competition around. Less people are applying directly or are being put forward. With this being the case, all you need to do is apply the headhunters secrets to land any job you want. And this is even for management or admin jobs. Yes, you still need to apply for any suitable jobs that are advertised especially the local ones. This is because you need to keep all your options open.

Headhunters are under pressure to help you

Recruitment agencies that act as headhunters are under pressure all the time to fill the vacancies they are given. And many of these vacancies often cannot be filled by those on their books. So they need to look elsewhere otherwise they will lose out on any placement commissions. And to be considered for any of the jobs that are suitable, the inside secret is knowing how to make yourself seen more on the internet. This is so recruiting agencies and even employers can find you and your details. This is what all recruitment agencies do even the top specialist ones that specialise in senior management and board level placements. They search to find the right people with the levels of skills and experience being asked for.

And the first way to be noticed is to have the right CV on the internet with the leading top recruitment sites. Yes, many also use them, but many do not know how to use such sites to their advantage. They simply put their CV up and hope for the best. There is more to it than that. You need to use the right keywords. But the good news it is easy to be noticed. It does not take much to do once you know the headhunters secrets of how to stand out from the crowd. That is from all the others who may be in direct competition to you. One way to do this is to raise your profile on the internet. Join similar networks that cover your field and job area.

Lawyer Headhunters

Lawyer headhunters are professional recruiters with hawk like eyes picking and forming a talent pool of young lawyers. These recruited young lawyers are generally the victims of unemployment but no less smart and clever than their employed counterparts. This is where the role of a lawyer headhunter comes in. He picks up the best with nominal rates earning profits from the firm he works. A lawyer headhunter is necessarily not a lawyer but one with sufficient experience and knowledge in the field.

Lawyer jobs can vary on a wide range of scale. All these jobs have only one similarity on the platform of being jobs of a lawyer. Otherwise the needs, skills and qualifications are distinct for each profession. When some posts require smooth communication skills, others demand good negotiating skills like family law jobs, divorce lawyers.

A legal headhunter has to consider a number of factors like convincing and mediating skills, the ability to deal with situations, people and good reasoning potentials for recruitment. Depending on the skill needed, a legal headhunter picks up the right portfolio. Thus, a headhunter should have an outstanding capability of envisioning the recruit's talent in the field.

This way, headhunters in law not only help curb rising unemployment but also help one to find the right job. For example, Legalheadhunters is an international organization situated in United Kingdom catering to business firms with qualified candidates matching their needs. These organizations are of great help for families looking for a lawyer.

Affording an extravagant lawyer is not everyone's cup of tea. Instead, legal headhunters help one find the right lawyer. This helps legal students seeking jobs find employment according to their demands for job satisfaction and business firms, families find lawyers as per their needs and requirements.

Thus a lawyer headhunter's livelihood depends on his professionalism and popularity. He gets paid a commission by the party to whom he provides the lawyer, by the lawyer for providing him employment and from the firm run by him. The number of lawyer headhunter jobs is limited but can pay one very well if with right skills.

Being well versed with laws is a pre-requisite need. Having good contacts can help as one not need waste time in searching employees but can easily get access to the people in search for jobs. The better the talent provided by him, more gain in his popularity and chances of earning large sums of money. Energetic, ambitious, good at reading people define precisely the qualities of a lawyer headhunter.

If you have it in you search websites catering to the job specifics for legal headhunters. The profession of a lawyer headhunter can make one reach heights without being a lawyer himself. With globalization and capitalism ruling, efficiency and cost containment are the in words. If the qualifications of the headhunters in law fulfill these requirements, there will be no looking back from success. Many online sites hire legal headhunters to tailor jobs according to the needs of the clients.

Why Use A Headhunter?

Why use a headhunter? Headhunters are used for varied reasons, including and most especially for people looking for middle management and executive positions within their chosen industry. Headhunters specialize in a broad search that provides candidates that are both related and directly related to the job positions they are researching. However, headhunters or contingency executive recruiters are not as widely regarded, respected or considered to be as reputable as retainment executive recruiters.

Generally speaking companies such as consultants and staffing agencies use headhunters to find people for contract or full-time/permanent jobs. Other larger companies and corporations do use them on occasion, but they are more geared to general staffing.

Headhunters are useful when looking for more generalized positions, including general management, but their focus is helping their client to find potential candidates that the client themselves were unable to find despite all their efforts: advertising online and in the print media. They tend to be less interested in the needs of the candidate and therefore their search is based on limited criterion such as basic job experience matches, limited skill sets and some or no qualifications. They will follow the same procedures in some ways as a retainment executive recruiter by compiling candidate lists, conducting initial interviews with candidates and then forwarding the best resumes to their clients. However, there is a high risk that the candidates being sent to clients may not be totally suited for the positions in question.

Unfortunately, headhunters vary in ethics, ability and the willingness to do a proper job. This is one of the reasons that they have received such bad press. There have been cases where candidates have worked with headhunters and ended up not getting a position at all. Some of them have been known to collect resumes as well as retention fees from candidates when most reputable recruiters charge a candidate nothing and only charge their clients. Some have terrible recruitment policies, including a lack of communication with clients and candidates, leaving everyone in the dark as to what work they have done at all. Some are not as prudent in their searches and have breached confidentiality, causing potential candidates to lose their current positions as their employers have been tipped off as to their job search activities. In fact, the worst type of headhunter will forward any and every resume to their clients with total disregard to whether or not the candidate is suitable or not. This wastes time, money and sometimes contracts with clients.

The best approach with headhunters has been for candidates to wait for headhunters to contact them because this clearly shows they are interested in those candidates for specific positions. However, this is not fool proof and client and candidates can find that a random list of candidates are contacted

When using a headhunter it is important to find someone that can be trusted before engaging them in a contract. This is best done by finding another firm that has used their services before and getting a recommendation. Also, it is critical for a company to insist that they are not sent every resume in sight and that they are kept totally informed of the work the headhunter is doing.

The most important things to keep in mind when using a headhunter are:

·        Quality work for a reasonable price

·        Good communication policies

·        References and recommendations from other companies that have used their services

·        An ability to do a proper candidate search for people who are suited to a job position and not just anyone and any resume

In conclusion, using a headhunter can be extremely beneficial for middle management and executive positive filling as long as the headhunter is reputable. Headhunting is so varied in its ethics and business practices that it is very easy to get caught by a company that charges large fees for little or poor work.

How to Find a Good Headhunter

A headhunter is a person or a company who basically on the payroll of a company and his primary function is to seek out the best people for a job and recruit them. Headhunters may work for more than one company at a time. They can be useful for a job seeker but there are certain things a job seeker must take into consideration before working with a head hunter.

In order to get a good headhunter you can begin with asking around. Getting in touch with other job seekers or people who have landed jobs through headhunters makes a lot of sense. They will know who are the best headhunters and will also know which one of them is genuine.

Once you have shortlisted the headhunter you want to work with, set up a meeting and discuss with them exactly what you are looking for in a job. When you speak to the headhunter about yourself make sure everything you say to them is the truth. If you lie to them, they will not be able to help you find a good job. Also, give the headhunter a copy of your resume and take their advice regarding the same.

If a headhunter speaks to you about a company, don't only take his word for it. Spend some time asking people and doing your own research on the internet about the company. Headhunters get paid to recruit people so it is obvious that no matter how good or bad the company is, they will try to convince you to take the job.

There are so many headhunters available today that you have to be careful who to work with and who not to work with. If you feel that the headhunter you have contacted is giving you the run around or is overly commercial and is trying to sell you a company then it makes sense to move on and find someone else.

What Should You Do When the Headhunter Calls? Important Tips and Advice

 

Hopefully by the time you become a middle management executive you will have learned what the role the headhunter plays in the overall picture of your total working career. When you were a green employee at your first company, a phone call from any headhunter most likely put the fear of God into you. Flashes of termination crossed your mind every time the phone would ring. Mr. Green, there is a Mrs. Red on the phone. She says it's a personal business call. Sweat begins to drip from your brow. Who could this possibly be? Is it a telemarketer? Did I forget to pay a bill? Worse yet, what if it is one of those dreaded headhunters? Panic sets in. You don't take the call. At this point you don't know what you should do when the headhunter calls.

The second year of your employment, you accidentally take a call your secretary puts through. It's a call from a headhunter. Before you even listen to what s/he has to say, you immediately tell the recruiter, I have no interest and hang up in their ear. You then run to your boss to inform him that you have just been called by a headhunter. Your boss stares at you for a moment in disbelief with a little smile just starting to round the corner of his/her mouth and thanks you. You leave his/her office seemingly covered in brownie points. You did well. You warded off the deadly headhunter.

It's now year two and you still don't know what you should do when the headhunter calls. You busily work away hard at your job, secure in the fact that your boss knows you are loyal.The third year of your employment, you over hear a conversation that your friend and co-worker is having in the next cubicle. Could your co-worker actually be talking to a headhunter? As soon as your friend gets off the phone, you look up over your cubical and ask who they were talking to. She looks back at you and smiles, but tells you it was nothing important, just a personal business call. A month later, your co-worker and friend resigns and says she has been promoted to a new position at a competing firm for $7,000 more a year. When you ask her when this happened, she smiles and reminds you of the day that you asked her who she was talking to. She says she was talking to a headhunter.There is a lesson to be learned and a point to all of this.

What should you do when the headhunter calls? You should take the call. You should keep the conversation confidential. You should not tell your boss, nor your co-workers. You should always keep all of your options open because you never know what the future will bring. Learn what you should do when the headhunter calls so you will can remain aware of what kinds of jobs are being recruited for in your industry and what kinds of salaries they are paying. You should learn to talk with the headhunter because perhaps you can be helpful in recommending someone else for a position and thus further build your network. You should build a rapport with several headhunters so that when the time comes for you to decide to further your career, you will have access to them because of your past attitude.The retained headhunter works on specific, exclusive assignments so unless you take the call, you will never hear about what might be the next best opportunity of your lifetime.

It may take a few years for you to learn what you should do when the headhunter calls, but the sooner you learn the better it will be for your career in the long run.

A Headhunter With Many Meanings

What is a headhunter? Well, it can be any one of three things, a pitcher in baseball, a savage, or an executive recruiter. But when you get right down to it what does the word headhunter really mean?

Definition of a Headhunter

There are three main definitions of a headhunter:

(1) a pitcher in baseball who intentionally seeks to harm an opponent 
(2) a member of any tribe or race of savages who have the custom of decapitating human beings and preserving their heads as trophies 
(3) a person whose profession is to find executives to fill open positions in corporations

The Baseball Headhunter

In baseball, a beanball is a pitch which is intentionally thrown at a batter's head. Pitchers who are know to throw beanballs are know as Headhunters. A headhunter who throws a beanball rarely uses it as a strategic throw, most of the time it is thrown in anger and frustration. However batters who are facing known headhunters may alter their approach to hitting the ball in interest of self protection. In the history of major league baseball there has been only one player who has died after being hit by a headhunter, Indians shortstop Ray Chapman, who was hit by a beanball on August 16, 1920 and died twelve hours later.

The Tribal Headhunter

Headhunting has been practiced all throughout history in almost every corner of the world. In fact headhunters had thrived in the Balkan region right up until the early 20th century. Headhunter tribes usually believed in the existence of soul matter, which could be captured and added to the general stock of soul matter belonging to the tribe. The soul matter could then be used in rituals to contribute to anything from the fertility of the human population, to livestock and even crops. Taking the head of an enemy was also said to weaken the power of that enemy. Headhunters would keep the heads as trophies as tokens of courage and manhood. In many societies, young headhunters are not able to marry until they have taken their first head.

"...there came vividly to my mind recollections of the head-hunters--those grim, flinty, relentless little men, never seen, but chilling the warmest noonday by the subtle terror of their concealed presence..." The Head-Hunter, by O. Henry (1862-1910)

The Corporate Headhunter

A headhunter is another name for an executive recruiter who usually operates as a third-party, whereas a recruiter who works in-house is known as Human Resources. The first person who described their profession as a 'headhunter' would have probably been using the term jokingly, well aware that their audience knew the normal (tribal) meaning of headhunting. However the headhunter name caught on due largely to the efforts of the people engaged in headhunting. Headhunters quite literally "pirate" the heads and key people of a corporation, leaving that corporation without their leadership, and core people - subsequently loping off the heads of the organization.

Ways Of Getting On The Radar Of Headhunters For Legal Grads

Headhunting for legal jobs is picking up speed in the sphere of legal recruiting and more and more law school graduates are turning to legal recruiters for legal jobs and attorney jobs.

The conventional method of recruiting, that law firms earlier adopted, of placing advertisements, campus interviews and speaking to the candidates is no more the preferred option and firms are, more and more, approaching headhunters to find them the right candidates.


So how do law school grads and others keen on pursuing a legal career get on the radar of these headhunters obviously until they know that you are there, they cannot approach you. Not only must you use all avenues available to let them know that you exist, it is also important to recognize and ascertain the right headhunters.

Talented legal professionals would be well advised to thoroughly investigate the headhunter who, dangles lucrative carrots before them and promises the best of attorney jobs. Anyone with even a smattering of legal knowledge can claim to be an expert and chances of being misled are high.

Well then, how do the candidates catch the attention of the headhunters who have the most lucrative and choicest legal jobs, including attorney jobs. The first thing to remember is that headhunters explore and chart the legal market. They search directories, shared networking sites and the press that is legal-specific. Candidates will be well served if they get themselves on these avenues, so that when the headhunters do their research, their names and details are accessible to them.

Update your LinkedIn Profile, write articles in the press on your areas of expertise, or comment on current legal matters and interact with editors of newspapers - make yourself as visible as possible. Visibility puts you into the limelight and marks you out one amongst many. Moreover, getting published in the legal press, shows that you not only have a passion for the job but that it is backed by knowledge of your work - it helps build your standing and status. Upgrading your LinkedIn profile will send a message to the headhunters that you understand the worth of marketing and promotion.

Headhunters also have contacts in law firms and they will be asking for recommendations so keep your networking contacts on the know that you are looking for an opening and would they be kind enough to propose your name when headhunters come calling.

If the headhunter cannot find you, you find the headhunter. Research the headhunter by doing an advanced search on Google, plug in different keywords, legal headhunter, legal jobs headhunters, attorney jobs headhunter. Once you find them, interact with them and then use your wisdom to decide if they are worthwhile or not.

How to Find a Good Headhunter

A headhunter is a person or a company who basically on the payroll of a company and his primary function is to seek out the best people for a job and recruit them. Headhunters may work for more than one company at a time. They can be useful for a job seeker but there are certain things a job seeker must take into consideration before working with a head hunter.

In order to get a good headhunter you can begin with asking around. Getting in touch with other job seekers or people who have landed jobs through headhunters makes a lot of sense. They will know who are the best headhunters and will also know which one of them is genuine.

Once you have shortlisted the headhunter you want to work with, set up a meeting and discuss with them exactly what you are looking for in a job. When you speak to the headhunter about yourself make sure everything you say to them is the truth. If you lie to them, they will not be able to help you find a good job. Also, give the headhunter a copy of your resume and take their advice regarding the same.

If a headhunter speaks to you about a company, don't only take his word for it. Spend some time asking people and doing your own research on the internet about the company. Headhunters get paid to recruit people so it is obvious that no matter how good or bad the company is, they will try to convince you to take the job.

There are so many headhunters available today that you have to be careful who to work with and who not to work with. If you feel that the headhunter you have contacted is giving you the run around or is overly commercial and is trying to sell you a company then it makes sense to move on and find someone else.

How Executive Headhunters Source Talent

Executive headhunters are there to do a clear job: fill the top jobs with the best people. So the question for the executive job seeker, is how do you attract their interest?

As a recruiter and Executive CV writer, the aim of this post is to tell you how executive headhunters do their job, and what you need to do to attract their interest.

The key headhunters question...

At some point in every successful job application, the job applicant will be called by the employer, the headhunter or the recruiter. At that point, after a few pleasantries are exchanged, the caller will ask the job seeker a question, posed using the following form:

Give me an example of when you were tasked to deliver (the key business gain this job requires), and how you successfully achieved this? (by deploying the key skills this job requires)

This is known as the headhunters key question, because it instantly removes both:

·        Those who have no track record of delivery

·        Those who won't fit in with this company/organisation

While employers may be more lenient, and all recruiters will ask a less stringent form of this question, in executive head hunting you have to hit the right answer to stand a possible chance of getting to the next stage of the recruitment process.

How executive headhunters find talent

While many recruiters are paid on a risked/reward basis, executive headhunters are employed to deliver speedy results. This means that they need to get down to a list of core candidates quickly.

In the old days of recruitment, even as recently as just post the millennium in 2000, headhunters were wholly reliant on their networks, and hence their address books. While 90% of executive positions are still never advertised in public forums or media, the internet has allowed the whole recruitment industry to leap forward in two key areas:

1.      The ability to find a greater number of better qualified candidates: if you want a CEO with experience of successful product launch into the South East Asian market, then the right search string tapped into Google or some key social media locations such as LinkedIn allow the creation of an instant list of potential job applicants

2.      The ability to quickly qualify and vet all job applicants: once you have a name and a position, tapping those details into Google allows the headhunter to quickly assure themselves that the potential job applicant is either credible and with good references, or can be instantly removed for the process. Even before first contact or the telephone interview is undertaken

How to get an executive appointment

From statistics, the three most effective ways to get an executive appointment are:

·        Promotion

·        Networking

·        Track Record

Assuming that you are either found by an executive headhunter, or have created a profile such that you fit what they are looking for and can hence answer the key question, do you think that just a great Executive CV will secure you that post?

My key point in this article is to point out that executive recruitment is not as simple as just having a better Executive CV. While it may have been the core of the old way of recruiting, now it is just a part of both being found and communicating your inherent value delivery. That communication - which some call a personal brand - also needs to appear across both the printed and the internet mediums, as well as being known inside your network.

Hence, if executive headhunters have moved on, don't you think that your Executive CV and approach to executive appointments should as have well? Perhaps its time to find a better Executive CV service.

What to Consider When Using a Headhunter During a Job Search ( Part - 2)

6) SOME HEADHUNTING GROUPS HAVE SPECIALIZED PERSONNEL. Some of them have a lean number of people working for them. Depending on the structure of their organization, some have people who do both marketing (of the headhunting services to clients), and the search services ("hunting" for prospective candidates). Some headhunting groups usually have their marketing people getting in touch with you as among their prospective candidates for a search assignment. But they won't know much about the job details. If you agreed to come over for an initial interview (which some headhunting groups still do), you'll be asked to talk with a recruitment specialist who will then conduct the interview. Your next step is gather more about the job, if this happens - so that you can decide if you will pursue the opportunity or not.

7) THE BEST HEADHUNTERS ARE USUALLY AMONG THE BEST MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS IN THEIR FIELDS. They provide the best search specialty advise, the best matching services (between a job vacancy and a candidate) in terms of their capabilities in showing two or more candidates for a shortlist within reasonable period of time. However, not every one among headhunters is able to do this. Some of them may just still be learning the ropes of this type of consulting business.

8) COMPLETION OF PROJECT. The headhunting process may take a minimum of 4 weeks of processing before completion. Expect to spend time waiting before a job is offered to you, if you get the opportunity to be interviewed and shortlisted (i.e. among the top candidates, usually not more than 4 candidates) for a job.

9) SEEK HELP FROM HEADHUNTERS FOR YOUR NEXT MANAGERIAL JOB. Headhunters have to be worth their fees so that their client-companies would be most willing to pay them big professional fees. Usually, client-companies will just be willing to pay such amounts for higher level recruitment, of which the headhunter is best suited to handle.

10) BACKGROUND OF HEADHUNTERS. Some headhunters and clients belong to the same "old boys network," those who have the same (social) backgrounds. Members or insiders play "chummy-chummy" with each other, just like in other exclusive groupings. Figure out how to penetrate their circle. This will be a key for you in getting access to high-level job opportunities usually available to those who are in-the-know. 

What to Consider When Using a Headhunter During a Job Search ( Part - 1)

Headhunters are great to have as among your friends and acquaintances in growing your job network. Make sure you have two or more headhunters in your regular work contacts. And consider building great relationships with them. Make them aware if you're on the look out for a job in the market. They're usually among the best sources of latest information (not posted on job ads) on what's been taking place in the labor market, particularly the jobs available that call for certain particulars on background, depth and breadth of experience - even in a down market. But keep in mind the following (which this author culled from his own experiences doing headhunting with a small firm, immediately after college):

1) HEADHUNTERS WORK FOR THE INTERESTS OF THEIR CLIENTS. Their clients are the ones who pay them their fees to keep their businesses going and growing. As such, they're always on the look out for applicants to successfully place candidates for their clients. The faster they're able to complete these assignments, the better. This is another gauge for clients to keep on giving headhunters succeeding assignments (preferably on an exclusive arrangement). As such, you may subsequently be treated like a commodity on which their best hopes (based on their expertise and experience) are rested (or wagered) so they can do their next billing.

2) WHEN TO MEET WITH A HEADHUNTER. The best period to meet and know headhunters is when you're still employed, and doing very good in your job. As such, your resume looks better to prospective employers when you're currently employed. This also gets you, as a job hunter, to be in an advantageous position to negotiate for a better package. Ask any headhunter about this observation, and they'll usually say "it depends." However, the best match for a job and a candidate happens usually with someone who's still employed. Competitors among players in the same industry who use headhunters usually have the ideal or the near-ideal candidate they have in mind who are currently employed by their competitors - or else they could have easily done the recruitment themselves.

3) SOME HEADHUNTERS SPECIALIZE BY INDUSTRY, OR BY LOCATION. The job hunter has to approach headhunters who may be specializing in industry/ies where the job hunter is targeting to get into. But in case you've known a certain headhunter, it's best to approach this headhunter to introduce your credentials and background to him / her. The headhunter may give you referrals to their other contacts in their business.

4) HEADHUNTERS' ETHICAL PRACTICES. Headhunters don't "headhunt," or poach prospective candidates from their own clients (or where they have previously made a successful placement), for this creates a lasting poor impression on clients. If you are aware that your current employer makes use of certain headhunters, it's very helpful to make the approach, meet and know the headhunter in case you decide you're in the market. The headhunter may then be able to consider you as a prospective candidate - as you are the one who approached (and not the other way around).

5) SOME ACCOUNTS ARE ON A BEST-EFFORTS BASIS. This means a "job requirement" in a client-company has been waiting for referrals from several headhunting groups, or even from the own recruitment being done by the client-company. As such, there may be several headhunters working to make a successful placement of a candidate. Ask the headhunter you're talking with about this, so you, as a job hunter won't be disappointed when recruitment and placement completes so fast (or so slow, depending on certain situations).