So how does headhunter work?

[IHAVEAQUESTION]

So I was told not to apply jobs on my own by a headhunter yesterday , the reason being once a resume is sent to a particular company, he cannot help me with opportunities in that company anymore...something about appearing too desperate he said. So anyway, he asked to let him know before applying to any company from this point on. The problem is I have no idea the list of companies I should avoid applying and I doubt he is willing to reveal that information . I've met headhunters before but none works like this.

So how does your headhunter work for you?

 

[darkxshade]

Originally posted by: IHAVEAQUESTION
So how does your headhunter work for you?

I tell him I need a job and he finds one for me.

 

[ed21x]

apply as you wish. He just wants to apply on your behalf so he gets commission. headhunters are all aboout the money. try to avoid them whenever possible. Also, him discouraging you to not apply to anything so that he can do it for you is a very bad sign.

 

[randay]

i tell him what kind of head i want and he comes back with it. actually most of the time it just involves giving a first name, last name, and last known residence.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: IHAVEAQUESTION
So I was told not to apply jobs on my own by a headhunter yesterday , the reason being once a resume is sent to a particular company, he cannot help me with opportunities in that company anymore...something about appearing too desperate he said. So anyway, he asked to let him know before applying to any company from this point on. The problem is I have no idea the list of companies I should avoid applying and I doubt he is willing to reveal that information . I've met headhunters before but none works like this.

So how does your headhunter work for you?

I have found that headhunters are not very helpful. I just submit my resume anyways. The idea is that it "looks odd" if you submit to a job twice or more due to you submitting and the headhunter submitting.

After a dry spell of 4 months, i have finally started getting some good interviews off of careerbuilder. Do not depend on the headhunter.

 

[Danman]

He wants his cut. Basically, he brings your resume into a HR department stating it's his client. If they already have your resume, he can't represent you. This is a good and bad thing, it's worked out well for me in the past and sometimes it doesn't.

By the way, headhunters make a shitload. The last one that found me my current position got around 10k.

 

[AreaCode7O7]

If you apply first, you are an existing candidate and he does not get paid. So his statement is true; he cannot represent and talk you up to hiring managers if you apply yourself. The decision you should make is whether you want him doing that for you, meaning your resume gets a definite look, in trade for probably not getting submitted to as many companies.

 

[aceO07]

I always thought headhunters hunted potential employees FOR companies (ie, they would seek you out).

Anyways, I agree with ed21x. The guy is just trying to increase the chances of him getting paid, instead of you getting a job without him getting paid.

 

[dakels]

With some agencies, if you speak to the company on your own after the headhunter/staffing agency first presented you, both of you may breach a common contract stating that the company cannot hire you on any level for 6-12 months without commission. That commission is sometimes very heavy, 10%, a few months salary, or more. I once lost a job because the agency I was with was charging a $70k commission for me. The VP of the target company even told me later (he wasn't supposed to) that I was the top candidate but they couldn't get approval for the 70k commission over the next guy.

Some HR's only deal with these staffing agencies or headhunters so you have no choice, some headhunters, especially for higher exec positions can negotiate terms for you, others know of opportunities you may never see publicly posted. Head hunters are good if you need them. If you don't and can apply to the job yourself.

 

[puffff]

when i worked with headhunters, they always asked me which companies i've had my resume submitted to, so they dont submit it again. some companies apparently dont like being spammed with the same person's resume over and over.

if you're interested in a company, it's worth contacting your headhunter to see if they have any leads. they may have relationships with hiring managers and could do better than what you could do alone.

i see headhunters as a win win situation.. they get paid if you get hired, so they're going to do their damndest to get you the job. i've used them in the past and i will continue to in future job searches.

 

[Gibson486]

You are not allowd to submit yourself because it allows companies to go around the head hunter and striaght to the could be employee. In fact, lots of companies have rules that say if you want to pass a resume internally, they cannot have the resume posted at all through external means.

 

[ivan2]

mine actually gave me the job requirement and company first then he went and talk to them after I told him that I am interested. I have had some told me to even remove my phone number and email from the job site so others can't contact me before even showing me an opening, I wouldn't go with those.