When Nick A. Coreodilos started out in the headhunting business 20 years ago, he had a keen eye for tracking talents. From his base in Silicon Valley he would send all-star performers to blue-chip companies like Xerox, IBM and General Electric. But while he would succeed in his part of the hunt, the job-seekers he located would often fail in theirs. They were striking out before, during or after the interview.
So instead of simply hunting for talent, Corcodilos began advising job candidates as well. He helped improve their success ratio by teaching them to pursue fewer companies, make the right contacts and deliver what companies are looking for in an interview. In his myth-busting book, Ask the Headhunter (Plume, 1997 ) , Coreodilos has reinvented the rules of the job search, from preparation to interview techniques. Here are his six new principles for successful job hunting:
41. Your resume is meaningless.
Headhunters know a resume rarely gets you inside a company. All it does is to outline your past largely irrelevant since it doesn’ t demonstrate that you can do the work the hiring manager needs to be done.
42. Don’t get lost in HR.
Headhunters try to get around the human resources department whenever possible.
43. The real matchmaking takes place before the interview.
A headhunter sends a candidate into an interview only if he or she is clearly qualified for the position. In your own job hunt, make the same effort to ensure a good fit. Know the parameters of the job when you walk into the interview. Research the company, finding out about its culture, goals, and competitors.
Remember, the employer wants to hire you.
"A company holds interviews so it can find the best person for the job," Corcodilos says. The manager will be ecstatic if that person turns out to be you, because then he or she can stop interviewing and get back to work.
44. Pretend the interview is your first day at work.
Most people treat an interview as if it were an interrogation. The employer asks questions, and the candidate gives answers. Headhunters go out of their way to avoid that scenario.
45. Got an offer. Interview the company.
When an employer makes an offer, he does more than deliver a title and a compensation package, he also cedes part of his control over the hiring process.
Once you get that offer, "You have the power," says Coreodilos, to decide whether, and on what terms, you want to hire that company.
[A] Consider how Corcodilos coached Gerry Zagorski of Edison. N. J. , who was pursuing an opening at AT & T. Zagorski, walked over to the vice president’ s marker board and outlined the company’s challenges and the steps he would take to increase its profits. Fifteen minutes later, as Zagorski wrote down his estimate of what he would add to the bottom line, he looked up at his interviewer.
[B] One of the best ways to learn about a company is to talk to people who work there. Kenton Green of Ann Arbor, Mich., used this technique while completing a doctoral program in electrical engineering and optics at the University of Rochester: "I would find an article published by someone in my field who worked at a company 1 was interested in. Then I’ d call that person and ask to talk, mention my employability and discuss the company’ s needs. One of two things happened: I’d either get an interview or learn we weren’t a good match after all. "
[C]" Most HR departments create an infrastructure that primarily involves processing paper," Corcodilos says. "They package, organize, file and sort you. Then, if you haven’ t gotten lost in the shuffle, they might pass you on to a manager who actually knows what the work is all about. While the typical candidate is waiting to be interviewed by HR, the headhunter is on the phone, using a back channel to get to the hiring manager.
[D]" At the outset of the interview, the employer controls the offer anti the power that comes with it, " Corcodilos says. "But upon making an offer, he transfers that power to the candidate. This is a power few people in that situation realize they have. It’ s the time for you to explore changing the offer to suit your goals and fidly interview the company. "
[E] "The guy’ s jaw was on the floor, " Corcodilos says. " He told Zagorski that finishing the interview wouldn’ t be necessary. Instead, the VP brought in the rest of his team, and the meeting lasted for two hours. "
[F] "A resmne leaves it up to employers to figure out how you can help their organization," Corcodilos says. "That’s no way to sell yourself. "
[G] One of my former colleagues, for example, wrote resumes in three different styles in order to find out which was more preferred. The result is, of course, the one that highlights skills and education background.
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