When is comes to using a headhunter to help you find your very first job in your field of study there are many different opinions on the subject. Some employment specialists are on the Pro side of the debate while others are on the Con side. The following article will list the common pros and cons of using a headhunter for your very first job:
CON
1. – A headhunter may decline to work with you at all. Although this could be considered a Con, there is also a Pro side to it too. Take the time to ask the headhunter what steps you can take to make yourself more desirable and act on the feedback
2. – A headhunter typically has multiple clients, which could result in you not being top priority.
3. – By relying solely on a headhunter you will miss out on the opportunity to create your own valuable networking experience.
4. – However depending on the type of headhunter you hire you may be required to pay for their services outright to help with your job search.
5. – If two equally skilled job seekers apply for the same position, one as an individual and one through a headhunter, the individual is more likely to get the position, as the hiring company will not have to pay a fee to the headhunter.
6. – In the same respect headhunters may try to pressure you into attending interviews even if the job doesn’t fit what you are looking for.
7. – There is no guarantee that the headhunter will find you a job in the field you are looking for, or be able to find you a job at all.
8. – Typically a headhunter, or recruiter, will seek out a potential client to fill a position. This rarely will ever happen for someone without any experience, so you will have to get the headhunters attention yourself.
9. – Very rarely will an organization use a headhunter for an entry level position.
PRO
1. – A good headhunter can help you to polish your resume and prepare you for interviews.
2. – Headhunter can open doors that are normally closed to the average job seeker as they will know of openings that are not even posted.
3. – Headhunters typically have a large list of jobs they are trying to fill, and since they only get paid when they fill a position they will try to match you up with one that fits your skill set.
4. – Looking for a job, although not necessarily complex, does take a lot of commitment and time. By using a headhunter you can free up some of your time to concentrate your efforts elsewhere.
5. – Most headhunters get paid when a position is filled, so they will try to get you into a job as soon as possible.
6. – Professional headhunters have a huge network of contacts that you will be able to access.
7. – Some organizations only use headhunters as their only source of recruiting.
8. – Their clients, who are the organizations that are looking to fill a position, pay most headhunters; so employing the help of a headhunter may not cost you a thing.
In the end, the way you find your first job is really up to you. The best piece of advice is to take advantage of all the opportunities available to you, which includes job boards, networking and even headhunters.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada. This article about the pros and cons of using a headhunter was written with the help of The Online Recruiters Directory.
