One of headhunters favorite Sport...

Did you already experience that: One head-hunter contacts you with a job description containing just elements fitting to your CV and asks you for your availability.

That sounds just as if cast! In case you believe in destiny, you will surely think you have been

“awarded” by some God over there and starts talking with the head-hunter. The headhunter tells you to send your CV and after that, you hear nothing from that head-hunter.

After some time you ask and the headhunter gives her/his apologies to you and tells you that the client (wanting somebody with exactly your skill mix) had decided her/himself elsewhere and “unfortunately” that job is no more available but just in case you will be recontacted soon.

WHAT HAPPENS HERE:

Headhunters (companies) do have to keep a database of current CV 's and to “sell” this to their customers (usually midsized / large sized companies) in order to make themselves “interesting” to be kept in mind once a job needs to be filled with a person (to be found). Often for a job vacancy, at least 3 proposals should be made (to give the customer the illusion of choice), so yours could be one of the 3 - but which one?

Since not everybody who is happily working has the time to update and to send her/his CV directly to every headhunter asking her/him for that, headhunters needs a stratagem to accomplish that and fill their database. They let you think, the time for your favorite ideal job has now finally come! They present you a (vague) job description but having exactly all ingredients contained in some old (or current) published CV of yours – like e.g. here in linkedin or on some websites where you present yourself together with your skills. In case this be of interest for you, you fall directly into the trap, give your CV, then ciao-ciao. So they transformed you quickly into a voluntary CV spender for their database. What the headhunter then do with your CV, they might keep it in their database or even resell it to others.

What you can do, in order to unveil this untrue situation:

• publish your CV directly (e.g. here in linkedin) making it available (so you will not be even asked and disturbed again - or maybe less often)
• ask the headhunters for whom and where the job should be carried on as many details as you can BEFORE YOU UNVEIL YOUR CV, normally this could give you enough “data” to search that position by yourself (if available) on the internet. If not available, something is here "weird"... If it is available, then the headhunter has obviously the right to mediate.
• if the former points do not help you, ask the headhunter simply for a precise (and signed) job description – sign an NDA if required. If no job description comes, something is "weird"...
• the headhunter informs you about an open position which reflects 1:1 what you did in the past (and is visible on your linkedin profile and activities) e.g. the "perfect match", asks you for a hourly rate and a CV. Do not give the CV right away (the CV is what the headhunter is paid to catch), rather ask her/him for details before you give the CV. Note: Serious headhunter call you on the phone. Less serious ones chat with you.

And of course there might be basically no issue in giving your CV to a headhunter – the point is just not being “interrupted” just when you are not seeking for a new job.

Hope that helped (some) of you

Whishing you a good time

Yours, Fabio Ricci from semweb