It is essential to ‘keep your head in the game’ to make yourself visible to headhunters. If you are in a senior position, your job search needs to be more approached, considering that your departure will have consequences for the company, employees and competitors. According to Wall Street Journal, you are most likely to be ignored when applying for jobs through traditional means such as classifieds. Internal recommendations and being headhunted are considered the two best ways to land a new job.
Here are some tips from our recruiters on how to be on a headhunter’s radar.
- Build your personal brand
Building your personal brand is essential. You must first identify how you want to be perceived by headhunters. If you want to be seen as a highly knowledgeable digital professional with over 5 years’ experience, then you must make sure that it is being conveyed to the public. You can build your identity through connecting with professionals online or at events and building these relationships. Be active in sharing your knowledge with your network and participate in discussions. - Networking is key
Effective networking among your peer groups and industry professionals is a sure shot way to increase your chances of being headhunted. As mentioned previously, maintaining good relationships with colleagues, business professionals, clients and also recruiters over the long-term can work well in your favor when you are in need of some good help. The practice of being well connected at all times proves to be more useful than the sudden enthusiastic networking all of a sudden, when you are looking for a new job. - Keep your LinkedIn updated
LinkedIn is the best tool used by executive search firms to source candidates across different sectors and regions. Hence, it is extremely essential that you maintain your LinkedIn profile and make the best use of it. Many employers often scan your LinkedIn profile upon receiving your applications, so it is essential that your profile matches your CV and paints a good picture of you. - Participate in industry events
You can invest in building your online presence by writing blogs, recording podcasts or participating in discussions in forums. Apart from online, you can also offer to speak at industry events or interview with industry publications to build your personal brand. On LinkedIn, you can show off your achievements in the ‘Accomplishments’ section. - Use a headhunter when recruiting
The best way to get under the radar of a recruiter is to use an executive search firm for your own recruitment process. This can be an effective way to advance your career. If you’re keen on getting a recruitment firm to notice you, make sure you contact them when you are hiring.
