In the Merriam-Webster dictionary you’ll find a definition for the word client is “a person who pays a professional person or organization for services.”
By it’s very definition, you are not a client of a headhunter. Rather, the company paying for the services of the headhunter is the client.
If you are of the mindset that the headhunter has your best interest at heart, we may have to break your bubble.
Yes, the headhunter cares if you accept a job that they represent you to because they get paid as well.
…and don’t get us wrong. Great headhunters will do everything possible to help you gain that sweet advantage to land the role.
BUT…
…because it is in their best interest to do so.
Rest assured though, most headhunters don’t care which job you take as long as it’s through their representation.
But don’t blame them. There’s great money in headhunting and many headhunters work in dog-eat-dog commission environments.
…and rest assured, THERE ARE good headhunters out there that truly do wish for your long-term success and will work hard for you. But unless you are their client (see above), then their goals are first and foremost aligned with the company they represent (their actual client).
Headhunters are certainly a great resource and can open many doors for you that you otherwise wouldn’t have known how to crack open.
But a word to the wise…you need to remain in control of your career destiny.
ALWAYS
If you really want to get the most out of a headhunter, do your own homework and gather a shortlist of employers you’d ideally want to work for.
Share the list with the headhunter and hold them accountable for results within a certain time frame. If the headhunter knows she has a real probability of placing you, she’ll work hard to open those doors you you.
Trust me… ?
