Hello AllI'm hoping someone can give me some advise on how to engage with a headhunter. I have a small number of colleagues/associates (from different fields to me) who are occasionally contacted by the likes of korn ferry, but they do not know why they are on 'the list'. I'm looking to engage with such a HH and would like to know what would stop a letter being binned before it was read through. I have good experience over 20 years and am well perceived in my area. I appreciate that if The HH were looking for someone to fill a role then they should be able to come across you by speaking to the right people; if your name does not come up, you're probably not in the picture. But I would like to get on the radar.Beyond the standard letter what would help the HH think this may be worth a chat. Thanks for reading thus far, thanks in advance for any advice which would be gratefully received.Idris

Are you on Linkedin? Create a profile and you will soon be spammed for random jobs...

Call before you email them or send in anything. That way i) they'll know to look out for your CV if they're interested in your profile ii) if they're not particularly keen on you, you'll know not to waste your time tailoring your CV and writing the letter of application.Besides, the heroic act of picking up the phone will give you bonus points for being 'proactive' and you'll tick another box on their list.

Idris,I have been through the process recently so let me share my experience with you. Take what is applicable/useful to you:1. I created a very detailed profile on LinkedIn giving clear idea of what I did in every position. I also looked at job advertisements and made sure I used the keywords related to my work experience. 2. I trialled the paid membership of LinkedIn but apart from knowing who looked at my profile (mostly people not useful in my job hunt) , it didn't help me much. But that could be down to my writing or profile.3. You can try job boards. They are still useful. Again, scanning works based on keywords so make sure you use the industry standard terms to define your work.4. Calling always helps. I prepared several tailored versions of my CV but got no reply. Then I started calling people and explaining my profile. That helped. I don't really know many recruiters/HHs so cold calling was my only option.Good luck to you !Seeker