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EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIES
Capture the headhunter's attention How to put yourself on a recruiter's radar screen
KIRA VERMOND
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL

02/01/2002
The Globe and Mail
Metro
C3
"All material Copyright (c) Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved."

Trying to get Frank Gray's attention is a little like trying to make an appointment with the Wizard of Oz.

But Mr. Gray just might be able to help you if you know the right way to approach him.

Mr. Gray is a senior partner at Feldman Gray & Associates Inc., an executive recruiting firm based in Toronto that helps large organizations fill high-level posts.

And like most headhunting firms retained by corporate clients, they'll find your name through a combination of networking, scanning the papers and keeping an ear to the ground.

"We're very much part of the hidden job market. I've been at this for 20 years and most people have no idea how to get in my good books," he says.

Finding a headhunter able to place you in an attractive position has become harder over the past six months, says Bruce McAlpine, vice-president of the Keith Bagg Group and president of the Association of Canadian Search Employment & Staffing Services.

With the economic slowdown, employers are becoming more cautious, he says. The result in his view: Fewer jobs, which means that recruiting firms are spending more time and energy on finding new contacts and business opportunities with employers -- and less on placing people when a growing number of the newly unemployed actually need their services most.

"If someone sees an ad in the paper and says, 'Oh golly, that's just like me!' well, 700 other people are saying that simultaneously. So if you send in a resume, you've just bought one of 700 lottery tickets," Mr. Gray says.

Still, there are ways to gain a headhunter's attention.

Mr. Gray's preferred tool of initial contact is the telephone. Once you've got him on the line, it's time to sparkle. "It's kind of like you're on the air. You've got about five minutes and if you blow it, you're dead," he says.

In that conversation, it pays to keep be brief and to the point.

Michael Stern, president and chief executive officer of the Toronto-based executive recruiter Michael Stern Associates Inc., says the best way to stay on the radar screen of a recruiter is by doing great work -- and making sure your successes are visible.

"If you do it quietly, no one knows you're there," he says.

Joining associations, making sure your name appears in corporate or industry newsletters and mingling with peers after work are good ways to laud your own accomplishments.

Knowing which headhunting firms to go after in the first place is also a skill, says Mike Kelly, senior consultant with Calgary-based Meyers Norris Penny, a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm. Not every firm is a good match for every industry. Find out which ones specialize in your industry and expertise to save time. Talk to colleagues and discover who they use. The Internet can also help. Don't be afraid to call the companies directly and ask questions.

"Why waste time creating resumes and sending them off? Why don't you find out if it's really a fit or not," Mr. Kelly advises.

One of the best ways to get noticed by search firms is to become one of their sources of industry information.

"Always be helpful to recruiters whenever they call you," Mr. McAlpine advises.

At trade shows and conferences, he suggests, track down headhunters relevant to your industry and say the magic words: "Please call me if you need any help searching for someone in my field."

If you give recruiters enough strong leads over time, they may eventually recruit you.

If you've been fired and are looking for a job, don't conceal the fact you're out of work.

In today's economy, there is far less stigma attached to being let go, and any first-rate headhunter knows that.

Besides, says Mr. Gray, your skills don't leave you when you walk out the door.

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