How do I find a good headhunter is a question often thrown at me? The question is in self not so strange since Headhunting and related occupations have been my bread and butter since 1986. I know my way around on the American and European labor markets.

To give an honest answer to this question and especially understanding the message behind it will not only give you a change to work with a man or woman that knows about the opportunities within your industry but will give you an enormous edge over your peers in the same situation.

One remark before we move, the fact that you are asking this question means you are not on headhunters hot-lists yet. Or in other words you haven't showed up on any long or shortlists. Often this is a sign of not managing your online and offline visibility, managing your online profile is a topic we discuss on our blog.

I encourage you take have a look.

For now let's move on with finding you a headhunter.

First of all our job is to fill positions for our clients. Engaging in long conversations with job-seekers for positions we are not actually managing is not the most productive way to spend our time.

When you try to call me without a very good reason you probably won't get through. This may sound harsh but when you want to know the how you also have to consider the why.

Come in under our radar - Find the weak spot in our defense

We do research and call people who are potentially interesting for implicit or explicit vacancies from our clients. Searching and approaching is the main difference between a recruitment agency and a headhunter. A headhunter is also the only party searching to fill a vacancy on management or senior management level for his client.

But that doesn't mean we have no long standing relationships with potential candidates in our field of interest. Our business would falter if I didn't. But keep in mind that our primary goal is getting the best for our clients.

We look for the best and most valuable candidates that is what we get paid for.

Tactics my friend tactics

When you are honestly trying to come in contact with a good headhunter, one who specializes in your field of expertise, you need to revert to guerilla tactics.

Call it an occupational deformation but we love to see original solutions to problems. Since, we daily have to invent and improve our own cloaking and tactical manoevers to stay in business this fact will make you one of us.

Where to look for the weak points in the defense

Where will you find our weak point and move in beneath our radar? By now you probably know the answer, it's all about the client, the one that pays our bills. They are the people that allow us to pay the mortgage and our kid's education, have hobbies and tend gardens. So we take them very serious.

Here is a simple but effective example to place yourself miles ahead of the pack

What you can do is:

• make a list of companies you would want to work for.
• call them and tell them that you are looking for a good head hunter or executive search firm in their line of business.
• Ask if they can recommend any.

You are now massively expanding your changes.

• You might get the name of the agency they are working with
• Your pro-active way of dealing with issues gets their interest and they want to talk to you

• They don't tell anything and are not interested.

Still this unusual question has a better chance of survival then the all to common standard inqueries.

Whatever the case when you contact the executive-searcher with a reference of one of his clients you will have his attention.

I know many people in the search industry but not one of them will indifferent when tell him that you discussed his/her possible employment with one of his better clients. Name your contact and that they referred them to the searcher you are talking with

A high reward low risk tactic

This little trick either got you in a direct dialog with one of your "dream employers" or the interest of the better headhunter's office in your industry.

You will not be successful 100% or even 50% of the time but such an approach or variations thereof put you miles ahead of your peers.

With this or a related strategy you came in under the radar, you are over the target and it's up to you to drop something that makes an impact big enough to get you hired.

Still these little tricks are very effective and even can distract some attention from possible weak points. Not only do you show initiative, but going through this difficulty is a boost for both the client's ego and ours

No better way to get it your way then to make someone feel good. There are other tricks as well and from your perspective the question "how to find a headhunter" should change to "how to have headhunters find me".

How can you get an executive searcher do the work of finding a great job for you without even asking?