Job Interviews with Headhunters

What a heady rush it can bring. A recruiter calls you about a job you'd love to have. It's within sight! You've been recognized for your talents and credentials! But before you go too far fantasizing about the future, take a deep breath, because much is at stake here.

What you have in front of you is not such much a "welcome to the club" situation, but, rather, an invitation to ice skate before a committee. Approach with confidence, yet be mindful of careless moves that could leave you flat on the ice.

Here are some basics to help you stay upright:

Don't talk too much. It bores people and undermines your true sense of authority.

Don't oversell yourself and don't "stretch" your experience. When you do this you are unwittingly demanding that people see you as you want, and not letting them use their own judgment. This would not leave a good impression.

Be the executive they would want to hire. "Executive presence" comes from presenting yourself as polished, personable and confident.

Recognize the important role of the recruiter. He or she is an integral member of the team. It would be a big mistake to cast them as some sort of entry-level gatekeeper. Your treatment of them must reflect your understanding of the importance they play in the entire process.

If a recruiter is proposing a job you don't want or can't take, be upfront about it now. Don't use the situation as a platform for anything other than what the recruiter has proposed. On the other hand, if you know of a colleague as qualified as yourself and open to new opportunities, ask whether the recruiter is looking for additional candidates. However you handle the situation, make sure you are offering recruiters real value for the time they spend with you and that you are extending viable opportunities to the colleagues you present to the recruiter.

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