Page 138 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

SELL YOURSELF IN ANY INTERVIEW

before you are offered a job. Each one has different experi-
ences, expectations, motives, and needs. You cannot choose
your interviewer, so it is best to be prepared for all circum-
stances. Here are just a few of the kinds of people you might
interview with along the way.

Interviewing with an Executive Recruiter or Headhunter

This is not the cannibal from old movies; instead, a headhunter
in the world of job hunting is someone who has been con-
tracted as a consultant by the hiring company to find the right
person for a specific job. The terms recruiter and headhunter
are interchangeable. In general, although a headhunter may
not know all the specifics of a particular job or industry, he or
she is very experienced at vetting (i.e., determining the suit-
ability of candidates). Some headhunters have long-standing
relationships with the hiring company; others are hired on an
as-needed basis. Many headhunters specialize in specific
industries or skill areas.
Generally speaking, headhunters contact you, not the
other way around. Recruiters cast big nets to develop a list of
potential candidates for their files. They often will keep your
name on file for years, especially if you are in an industry in
which they specialize. Communicate your skills in terms of
benefits, and a recruiter will keep your name on the top of his
or her list.
If you are contacted by a headhunter, use closed probes to
gather information. (Go back to Chapter 4 to refresh yourself
on the difference between open- and closed-probe questions.)
First, ask whether the headhunter is contacting you about a
specific job and, if so, how long the position has been open
and how the opening occurred. Then, using your soft ques-
tioning skills, ask the headhunter to tell you a little about the

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