WorkQuester™, ever wondered if using a headhunter would make your job search easier? I'm sure most of us have contemplated it and some of us have probably even done it. What are the benefits of working with a headhunter versus going it alone?

• If you are out of work and able to take on short-term work, this may be more easily done through a firm who already has exiting relationships with major clients. These opportunities can get you through until full-time, long-term or permanent positions arise.
• Headhunters may have established relationships with hiring managers at a company so your resume is sent directly to them as opposed to Human Resources personnel who may not really know what the hiring manager is really looking for in an employee.
• Headhunters may get feedback from a company faster than you can. They know what kind of money the company wants to pay and so can advise you in this area. They may be able to get more information about a position than you can also and so can better determine if a job may be a good match for you.
• Issues such as problems with management, dissatisfaction with pay or benefits, etc., are handled by the placement agency allowing you to concentrate on the position and the work.

Keep the following in mind when deciding to work with a headhunter:
(Source: http://www.medzilla.com/thirdpartyrecruiters.htm)

• Contact headhunters before you need them. It could take some time before the right opening arises. Find out which firms specialize in your industry and job level.
• Have someone recommend you. Ask friends and colleagues what firms have been most helpful to them.
• Look for a discerning agent. Seek out recruiters who understand your desires such as keeping your search and your resume in the strictest confidence.
• Perhaps most important of all, remember that headhunters are only one job searching tool. Most jobs are still filled the old-fashioned way 3/4 through contacts.

To learn more about working with headhunters and to find a firm, see the sources of information listed below.

Web Sites:

• www.usenet.com
• www.yahoo.com/business/
• www.medzilla.com/thirdpartyrecruiters.htm
• www.monster.com/articles/headhunters

Books/Publications:

• Kennedy's Directory of Executive Recruiters, Published annually, $45, 603-585-6544
• Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters, by Darrell W. Gurney, $14.95, Hunter Arts Publishing, ISBN 0967422906
• Directories of North American Search Firms, published by The Recruiting and Search Report
• National Association of Personnel Services Membership Directory, 1-703-684-0180
• Rites of Passage at $100,000: The Insider's Lifetime Guide to Executive Job-Changing and Faster Career Progress