How To Network Like a Headhunter
How To Network Like a Headhunter
Today, networking can either be the shortest route to your dream job or to a lengthy series of unsatisfying lunches. A MUST read book - "Headhunter" Hiring Secrets "Headhunter" Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!
How To Network Like a Headhunter
USING GOOGLE FOR LEADS
Right about now, you're probably saying:"Great idea but where do I get the names of the people to call?" Thanks for asking. Go to www.google.com and type in the name of the company you're interested in with the words "resume," "work experience," and "apply," ...
This will bring back results that will include people who have worked for PeopleSoft in the past. The preceding example resulted in 127,000 hits at the time.
Substitute the name of the company in this example for the company you want to research. Find a contact name among the returned links, get their phone number, and call that person. Using Google in this way should provide a handful of leads to former employees.- How To Network Like a Headhunter
There are other ways to do this. One of the largest databases of professionals in the United States is Zoominfo.com, www.zoominfo.com. This search engine allows you to do a keyword search by title, company, location, and a host of other criteria. The free version of the product allows users to search for a specific person by name with or without a company name. By selecting Advanced Search, free searching expands to include pulling lists of every person in the database for a certain company, or alumni of a university, or any person the search engine found on a given web site. The lists include former employees. They are ideal because it's a universal truth that if approached correctly they will most often discuss previous employers quite openly. This is a tactic that successful headhunters use and so should you!
HOW TO TARGET REFERRALS
The key to networking is to find people you can network with. For those of us who are terminally shy, the Internet has made if possible to network from our computer keyboard and avoid those awkward mixers most people associate with networking events.
E-Networking for Success There are many of online sites that facilitate networking. Most are based on the "six degrees of separation" principle that recognizes actor Kevin Bacon as the center of humanity. Each site has slight variations on how you build and grow your network.
First you join a site and create a personal profile. Your profile can include anything you want but generally it's your business profile that is of interest. Before you get too excited, let me tell you right now that the sites are designed to protect your privacy and that of the other members.
Second, you invite all your friends and business associates to join. Many sites have technology to facilitate inviting your entire Outlook database. When these people join, they are "one degree" away from you. Their network of contacts then would be "two degrees" away.
Your network will grow as quickly as you recruit members who recruit members. Your ability to e-Network your way to a new job grows exponentially as your network develops.
Link in and Connect Linkedin.com (linkedin.com) is my favorite. Your account is free. It works by first requiring that you set up your online profile and then invite your friends to join your network. After people join, they ask their friends and colleagues to join. For Job-hunters this is a treasure trove of leads. - How To Network Like a Headhunter
There are several ways to use the site to find people you're looking for quickly. This site recommends doing a search on the company you want to be referred to and see whom you find. You then send a note to the person who is directly linked to the person whom you want to connect to.
The Results Show 4,546 Contacts You can experiment with the technology to get more or fewer results. In my case, 4,546 people is far too many to start to network with. I want fewer people but at a higher level in the organization. By putting in the title vice president, I narrow the number of contacts down. In our example, this amounts to 122. I can narrow this further by location if I want to, but 122 is a manageable number for me.
The basic idea is to then request, via the technology, for someone to connect you to the person you want to network with. The technology is set up to facilitate the introductions electronically.
LinkedIn also lets people who have linked with you leave testimonials on how you were to work with. As a headhunter, I can view the testimonials, click to see if the testimonial writer is someone I should believe, and then decide if I want to contact the person. Not having testimonials doesn't mean someone is a dud, but having 10 or more that are consistently good will make me want to connect with that person.
From a headhunter's standpoint, LinkedIn has it all. From a jobhunter's standpoint, LinkedIn represents an opportunity of a lifetime to establish a powerful network for influential colleagues and friends.
