The Headhunter Challenge: Can a headhunter succeed where I have failed?

Q: Six months ago, you sent a resume to a company but never heard back from it. Today, a headhunter says he can get you into this company for an interview. You know you're right for the job the headhunter has described. What's the best way to proceed?

Nick's reply: A good headhunter can help you navigate the muck and mire of the candidate review process in most companies. More than once, I have placed people in companies where the Human Resources department already had the candidate's resume buried in its files. HR departments are so busy that they may drop the ball and lose good candidates without realizing it. While a hiring manager may be interested in you, an HR clerk might have put a big X on your application. This is the risk companies take when they let someone other than hiring managers sort through resumes -- HR just doesn't have the depth of knowledge that a department manager does.

A good headhunter has direct access to the hiring manager and is more motivated than the HR department to make a connection, because he earns a fee. The headhunter can quickly determine whether the manager is interested in you. The headhunter may be able to both speed up the process and get you in front of the manager in advance of candidates that are brought in by the HR office.

Note that I'm talking about good headhunters. (Many are no better than rushed HR clerks; they just push paper.) It's up to you to make sure you're working with someone you can trust. Start by checking out the headhunter's credentials, including client and candidate references -- ask for them. Has the headhunting firm placed other people in this company? Does it specialize in your field?

If the headhunter is credible, this is your best bet to get in the employer's door. While you can try to get back into the company on your own, remember that the headhunter likely has more information and influence than you do. But let me caution you. If you agree to work through the headhunter and also try to get back in contact with the company yourself, you are likely to create confusion. The company will wonder why you are applying through two different channels at the same time. Chances are good that the company will reject you altogether if it believes it might face a "fee fight" with the headhunter -- and the headhunter will probably never talk to you again.

Just as some headhunters kill their credibility in the business community, job hunters can hurt their reputations, too, when they play games with employers and headhunters.

Write to Nick at P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833 or www.asktheheadhunter.com.