UK
I have seen a vacancy I like in the website of a headhunter and have been able to identify the company it is for, which also has the vacancy listed in its website. My question is: should I apply directly with the company or with the headhunter? What are the pros and cons? The position is in another country and I am not sure what the salary level would be (or how much I should ask for eventually), would going through the HH help?
Anonymous
Question: Apply directly or through a Head Hunter?
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directly, directly, directly. never use a HH.
Hi Mark,
A good question in this market Mark & one that many people will be curious about the answer too BUT there is not right answer only advice as could get tricky & your repiutation is everything so this is ultimately at your discretion but you need to be aware othat it could come back to bite you in your long-term career, I hope you follow me on this.
My advice is let the company know and ask THEM would THEY would prefer to do as ultimately, its the bottom line that the company will look at and if you present an opportunity for any company to save recruiter costs, I’m pretty sure that they’ll bite based on similiar exp that I’ve had as I’ve been where you are now a couple of times in my career. The recruitement consultants on EFC won’t like that answer so I’m expecting a barrage of ‘why you should’nt do this’ from all & sundry but at the end of the day, we all need to work and pay bills so…
Good luck regardless
Funny one that – I interviewed with a hh for a FM role not so long ago – he didn’t put me through to the next round as he didn’t think I was “suitable”. However, I ran into the senior FM at the recruiting AM firm at an industry event, had a long chat and he told me if I were looking for a new role that I should come in for a chat! So in summary the HH was wrong not to put me forward but I agree with a couple of posters good HHs can be useful. My first instinct would be to talk to the HH as they can give you some insight into the firm and the role.
So to summarise Emilio’s ramblings, apply directly?
Some recruiters would say that if the HH has been stupid enough to inadequately “disguise” a job spec, he deserves to miss out.
Alternatively, earn some brownie points with the HH and let him know that you’ve guessed the client name from his advert and want to go through him. He may then put in the extra legwork to get you in front of that client / other clients he has on his books. He can also provide you with advice regarding the role, the market, etc
That was the most incoherent piece of crap I have ever read on this website. eFinancialCareers should be amended such that it is not acceptable to the lower class!
Good heavens, what moronic pleb wrote the first answer. I cannot understand any of it. Sarah, why did you approve the posting? It’s neither coherent nor written in English?
Is eFinancialCareers trying to appeal more to the lower classes?
Simple common sense should allow you to answer the question for yourself. Applying directly will allow the company to save money so it is preferable from their perspective.
In terms of salary negotiations, should you get to that stage, from ALL of my experiences headhunters are NOT helpful (once you are at offer stage they simply see the commission cheque and become quite unhelpful – goes to show how short-sighted they can be – in 2 experiences I have had in the last 9 months where a company has been ready to make an offer, or has made a verbal offer and I have asked the headhunter to negotiate some of the terms the headhunter has been very blasé, instead trying to push me to accept on the basis of the initiaaly offered terms. Both cases resulted in me declining the offer on the basis of the package)
emilio13 you scumbag. Always use a HH
recruiter-responses as expected Mark, saddo’s
Directly always. HH won’t benefit you in any way. They will demand a cut of your salary as a fee from the bank (disadvantaging you versus an “equally” gifted competing applicant who applied direct). They may not even bother to put you in front of the bank. Plus a HH rarely knows much about the role anyway so you won’t get much info (you should know enough about the role if you’re a suitable applicant – plus you can ask any of the finer details at interview, which will make you look a serious, insightful candidate), they’ll just drill you for info. They won’t really help you on salary, they work for the client (bank) remember.
Numpties