Fine-tune your CV
Goal: Make sure your CV is varied and detailed enough to meet managerial standards.
Your CV is still your calling card, but
headhunters looking to fill management posts may look closer and with a more
critical eye because they will be looking for specific qualities and skills.
Doig has a real bugbear about CV clichés –
try to avoid hackneyed phrases or make sure if you say that you’re a ‘people-person’
or are ‘strategic and commercially-minded’ you can back
that up with specific evidence.
An unusual career trajectory can work in your
favour if it demonstrates a breadth of experience – postings
overseas, projects outside of your main work area and even volunteering will
show you’ve got breadth.
A big black mark, according to Eastman, is a
run of short stays. Headhunters like to see you are capable of putting the time
in at a role – another reason for having an 18-month timetable in
mind.
Raise your profile
Goal: Become known as an expert in your industry
According to Doig, raising your profile among your
peers is the most important thing to concentrate on if you want to get noticed
by headhunters. Here are a few ideas:
that look interesting to you, and stay for a drink and a chat afterwards.
Or put yourself forward as a speaker or panellist. You can start
locally with your nearest href="http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk&target=http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/"> Business Link or Chamber of Commerce. Be specific about
what you can offer in terms of expertise. You can also try approaching an
event’s organisers to offer yourself as a substitute
speaker — speakers often pull out at the last minute.
look for alumni recommendations for candidate leads or to get information on
someone they already have their eye on, so it helps if you are in contact with former
classmates. Joining online alumni groups on social networking sites such as
LinkedIn will put you in touch with other alumni.
comes up when you type your name into a search engine? Your online presence will
be scrutinised by headhunters, so it’s worth checking your LinkedIn
page is up-to-date and your Facebook profile passes muster. Doig recommends
using a site like www.pipl.com, which will
list your appearances on all social media sites. Include a photo of yourself on
your social media profile – it’ll put a face to your name.
such as ACCA (for accountants), the Marketing Society
and the CMI (for managers) are a great starting
point for events and networking. It’s always possible you might meet
a headhunter there, too. Membership organisations and conferences aren’t
cheap, though, so invest wisely. Be sure the people you want to meet are going
to be there.
websites look for to approach for comment or contributions. Aim for
publications that are considered their industry’s ‘bible’
—in retailing, it’s Retail Week, in TV it’s Broadcast. (If
you don’t know which one should be your target, search the name of a
high profile business leader in your industry and see where they’ve
been quoted.) Blogging and micro-blogging (via Twitter) can also help you set
out your stall to a wider audience and help you build up a network within your
industry.
Court the headhunters
Goal: Get on an executive search
professional’s radar
So you’re maintaining an industry
profile: what else? A few headhunters suggest you
become one of their contacts for information about peers. Eastman says she gets
at least 20 unsolicited emails from people introducing themselves as possible candidates.
Being able to put forward potential candidates for a job demonstrates your own
expansive network – and you’re helping them do their job.
Sooner or later, they will be considering you for a post because your name is
always the first one that springs to mind.
Eastman also advises against cold calling: take
a more subtle approach – mention you are a friend of X, someone you
know who they helped to place recently or who they regularly call for good
industry intelligence. This will smooth your introduction.
Once you have managed to get your headhunter to
realise you exist, you may be invited for a face-to-face meeting, so that they
can determine how you measure up to your reputation.
Sharpen your interview technique
Goal: Make sure your first impression
is lasting
The saying’s never been truer — you
won’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Eastman’s
interview workload has quadrupled in recent years so she advises candidates to
pay attention to the messages they are sending out at interview. It may be
worth investing in some presentation coaching — two or three sessions should
be enough to iron out any creases in your personal brand.
Like it or not, dress also matters: Eastman
says she pays particular attention to how clean interviewee’s shoes
are — an illustration of how critical headhunters can be.
Watch what you transmit as well as receive.
Listen carefully to what you’ve been asked and complete the thought
in your head before answering. Stick to the point — treat it as if you were a
senior manager reporting to the board.
Do some research on the headhunter who is
interviewing you – check out their company website or their social media
profile. It’s flattering if an interviewee has made the effort and it
never hurts to be charming.
So, once you’ve got yourself noticed,
you’ve handed over an impressive CV and you’ve passed
muster at an initial interview, don’t congratulate yourself too much.
The real work begins when you are actually put forward for that power role you
were after.