Last week I received a resume from an executive in the women’s fashion business. The email was copied to over 100 headhunters. When the executive followed-up with a phone call, I commented that while I respect the courage it took to call me, a cursory glance at our web site would have shown her that we had little, if anything, to do with the women’s fashion industry. She responded by quipping, “you never know”. Fair enough, it was her quarter and her time. But similar calls each and every day convince me that when faced with the task of hunting for a job, most job seekers reach into the cabinet for their weapon of choice, a shotgun. Then they blast away.
To be fair, there is a certain understandable logic to the ‘spray and pray’ approach to job search. The market is uncertain and it may be prudent to pursue broad a range of companies, sectors and roles as possible. There are many job targets out there and best to hit as many as possible, however peripheral it may be to the bulls eye..
But this strategy does not appeal to those executives who have looked critically in the mirror, reflected on their careers and have a plan going forward. These individuals know which sectors, size of organization, context, role, and work-life balance makes most sense for them. These executives are not driven by hitting as many targets as possible but rather hitting the bulls eye of the few targets that make most sense for them. And for this work the weapon of choice is a rifle not a shotgun.
When rifle toting executives call a headhunter, they do not immediately enquire about ongoing searches for which they may be suited. Instead, they probe to expand their understanding of their target market, broadening and bringing the pool of companies into greater focus. They enquire about up-and-coming companies, firms doing better or worse than others and vertically focused organizations that may lack broad visibility in the market. And they ask for contacts to further broaden their understanding of their target job market.
Finding a job in any one market is time-consuming, methodical work. Companies are everywhere and nowhere, in broad daylight and in the shadows hidden from view. Mapping and then working those companies and the relationships needed to get to them is a purposeful endeavor. This differs substantially from finding a job across a wide swath of markets which by necessity is frenetic skimming hoping to hit something in the process. And while either approach may work, I’ll take the rifle anytime.
An Abject Failure in Due Diligence and Judgment
August 10, 2010
There are few shortcuts when it comes to hiring senior-level executive talent. And when firms are not careful, the price they pay can be exorbitant. Consider the true story of a company that paid a big price.
One Reason Interviewing Candidates is So Difficult
July 13, 2010
I was browsing in my local bookstore on the weekend when I came upon a small book titled ‘Toughest Interview Questions'. Always interested in this subject I quickly leafed through it and put it in the pile to buy.
Strategies for those wanting to make a career or sector change
June 23, 2010
Many transitional executives contemplate career changes. It may be a career auto or general manufacturing sector executive questioning its future, or a large-company type who covets the chance to work in a smaller organization. Often, it is simply individuals longing to shed unfulfilling careers for exotic destinations as yet unknown.
Executives in Transition- Why a rifle beats a shotgun in nabbing that perfect job
June 21, 2010
As a headhunter I am an obligatory stop on the networking circuit of many executive job seekers. I hold the promise of a barometer on the employment market, contacts, ideas, and even suitable ongoing searches. I am always happy to participate in courtesy interviews as I neither envy the job seekers' circumstances nor take lightly their courage in reaching out to me.
The Perils of the Successful Matchmaker
June 14, 2010
What is a successful matchmaker?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Patti Stanger who runs The Millionaire's Club, a Los Angeles-based "elite" matchmaking service and reality television program.
Interviewing: The Quest for Patterns and Themes
May 14, 2010
Last week, two seemingly unrelated articles caught my attention. The first was a magazine obituary on C.K. Prahalad, the management thinker best known for his work on core competencies. The article spoke extensively of his ‘big ideas' and noted his habit of traveling the world "prying useful information out of everyone he met…always looking for connections and patterns, hoping to predict change".
Checkers vs. Chess: Why Candidates Play The Wrong Interview Game…and Pay the Price !
May 4, 2010
I often join my clients when they conduct candidate interviews. I moderate, participate, listen and learn. They are fascinating glimpses into how candidates and companies alike play the complex game of talent acquisition.
The superhero hiring game and why everyone loses
April 5, 2010
When it comes to recruiting leaders, companies continue to search for those Steve Jobs-like characters that can single-handedly turn around a company's fortunes, blaze paths of innovation and market their wares like no other before them.
Why candidates should expand and prep their references
February 3, 2010
As headhunters scramble to match candidates with their shapeshifting clients, process and painstaking due diligence rule the day. To some candidates such rigor may feel intrusive or simply unnecessary. It shouldn't. In fact, rigor should be embraced and used to all candidates advantage. Consider the use of references as an illustration.
The Unwanted CEO Job …and the one individual who thought otherwise
January 8, 2010
Several recent articles have lauded the success of Ottawa-based Bridgewater Systems. With skyrocketing revenues, a growing market, and money in the bank, the firm's prospects have never been better and the street appears to love the story. It was a much more difficult story to sell in 2003, with one notable exception.
An Effective Job Search - Use a Rifle or a Shotgun?
February 3, 2009