Be Hunted! 12 Secrets to Getting on the Headhunter's List

By Smooch S. Reynolds

Everything You Need to Know to Make the Executive Recruitment Process Pay Off Executive recruiters have become increasingly important and influential in today's corporate hiring practices. Establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with the recruiter best suited to your career goals can mean the difference between finding your executive dream job and just getting by. Now, a professional executive recruiter shares the secrets of the process-- what you should know, what you should expect, and how to land your ideal job. Smooch Reynolds provides the keys to success and answers executives' most common questions about recruiters, such as: * How do I work with a recruiter? * When in my career can I expect to get recruiters' calls? * How do I find the recruiter best suited to my needs? * How do I interview with a recruiter? * Will a recruiter help me negotiate my compensation package? * What sort of references do I need? * What is appropriate, or inappropriate, to tell a recruiter? Be Hunted offers the insight and guidance necessary to move your career in the right direction. It dispels the myths and misconceptions about executive recruiters and offers essential tips in business etiquette, interviewing techniques, assessing your worth, and negotiating your compensation. Whether you're new to executive recruiters, or if you've worked with them before, this book is the ultimate guide to finding the recruiter-- and the job-- that's right for you.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471410748
• ISBN13: 9780471410744
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Good advice while getting your feet wet

In many ways this is kind of an off kilter book - Reynolds seems to want to be aiming at the executive, but in reality I think her book is applicable to just below that level, who are just starting out in higher managerial searches. Taken from that starting point, the book is a very good overview and advice book. Much of what she says is common sense, but sometimes it's nice to have it reiterated so that we don't forget it. As someone who is going to eventually be looking for new employment and to move on up, I found it in some ways reassuring to be led step by step through things. I don't believe I learned much new, there was certainly no "ah ha!" moments. But it did assure me that the path I've been looking at is correct, and what I know is valuable. She is not afraid to touch upon those areas a lot of people are uncomfortable with - such as compensation negotiation. Reading this book is like a comfortable session with a career counselor who's there to calm you down and help you through the next step. While currently job hunting has slowed a bit, it will rebound. And anything that helps us get a leg up on the competition is appreciated.

Thorough Primer

"Be Hunted" is a very thorough primer on the various ways one can attract the attention of search consultants. For many, this book can provide a rare and useful insight into the intricacies of the search profession, as well as the candidate/recruiter relationship. But as a seasoned search consultant myself, I believe it's important that the reader understand that "getting on the search consultant's radar screen" is only one aspect of the overall job search process. A much more comprehensive book on this topic is "The Secrets of Executive Search ... Professional Strategies for Managing Your Personal Job Search," by Robert Melancon. "Secrets" is similar to "Be Hunted" in that both were written by seasoned executive search consultants. But "Secrets" is much broader in scope and focuses on those aspects of the overall personal search job process that really make the difference between success and failure.

Be Hunted!

You have become an expert in your field, but face it, you still know zip about recruiters, interviewing, negotiating compensation, and why they ask all those tedious questions. Whether you are entering your profession, the recruiter just called, or you have decided to change employers, Be Hunted! is the book you need to read now.Based on attending her presentations for more than a decade, I know that during her career, Ms. Reynolds has championed the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and candor in the search process - for the candidate, the company, and the headhunter. Her outstanding book reflects her philosophy of openness.Ms. Reynolds cuts through the mystique with hard facts, process realities, and extremely valuable advice to advance your career and development - what to do, not do, why, and why not. Her book gives vital counsel and wisdom that no one else will tell you.For example, you probably know that as you become technically competent, how well you "fit" with a company becomes the most decisive selection factor - for you and for the company. But Ms. Reynolds goes far beyond that insight with definitions and measures of intangible attributes and intuitive wisdom, which you and employers can use to judge how well you fit with each other. Great stuff!Here are my paraphrases of her book's 12 secrets (and chapters): 1. Defogging executive recruiting. 2. Recruiters: in-house, retained, contingency, internet. 3. Finding search firms that are aligned with your career goals. 4. Timing the first contact with a recruiter. *5. Mechanics of working with recruiters. *6. Etiquette in your relationships. *7. Intangible qualities versus career track record. 8. You are a brand, manage it. *9. Interviewing taboos, techniques, practice questions, and how to answer them honestly and positively. *10. Secrets of negotiating compensation. 11. References - who, what, when, where, how. 12. Secrets to getting great mentors.The asterisks indicate the chapters I believe make the book worth vastly more than its price.If you follow her book's extensive advice, you will be a better candidate, a better compensation negotiator, a better employee, and a better person.

Executive Search Expert Gives Insightful Advice

Smooch Reynolds digs deep and delivers a thoughful and realistic view of the search world and executive recruiters. As a mid-level exec (looking to move my career forward), I will use her advice to leverage my relationships with recruiters to my advantage, especially in this recent economic downturn. Recruiters have their ears to the ground and know, more than anyone else in corporate America, where the best career opportunities are to be found. I'll be sure to place a call to her firm after reading this book, and so will you!