I recently saw a job ad on Craigslist. I applied immediately because it looked really interesting and challenging to me. I didn’t hear anything back from the company.
A few days later, I saw a job ad by a head hunter on Craigslist. It was the same job description, but the employer name was hidden.
I emailed, and within 2 hours I heard back from the head hunter. He didn’t think I had all of the required experience and background, but he wanted to at least chat with me.
One thing led to another. I eventually interviewed with this company and got an offer.
The head hunter had been working with this particular employer for many years. When he passed a resume to the employer, they would at least take a look. The head hunter has an established relationship with the employer, and he was able to get my resume to the right person.
This is extremely valuable. If I ended up taking this job, my pay would be lower because the employer had to pay the head hunter a commission. However, I would not have gotten the job at first place if I didn’t get help from the head hunter.
You probably have heard that “we’re in the internet age and recruiting are done online” — I wholeheartedly disagree with such statement — it’s not true that head hunter is no longer valued.
Fundamentally, recruiting is a people-based process. Relationship matters a lot. When you get a call from a recruiter next time, be nice to him or her. A good recruiter is like your personal salesperson, who will work tirelessly on your behalf, promote your brand, and help you get to the next level.
