Head hunters have the edge on recruitment consultants because they are sector specialist, who frequently freelance or work alone and are able to pitch you to a firm that may not even realise they have a recruitment need. They charge very high fees and commission, sometimes as high as 30% of the annual salary for a job they have helped fill. Companies use head hunters because they deliver the talented ‘difference maker’ individuals, whether for marketing jobs or for other executive jobs. Since there are fewer head hunters compared to recruiters, not many people know about how they work. Here are five tips to help you get on to a head hunter’s radar.
Head hunters are specialists

Most head hunters specialize in specific industries or skills. For example, a head hunter may recruit only for accounting firms. Another may only work to fill positions in Information Technology companies. Therefore, if you wish to get the best results, contact a head hunter who specializes in your industry.

Connect to Head Hunters using Mutual Contacts

A head hunter has to go through hundreds of CVs and online profiles to find a shortlist of candidates for single positions. This makes it hard for them to tell one good candidate from another, with the result that you might be overlooked even when you are perfect for the job. This can be avoided by using a mutual contact to forward your name and CV or cv to the head hunter. Head hunters maintain a lot of contacts, especially in the industry in which they work, so they almost always respond positively when someone they know introduces a candidate.

Use Social Networking to reach Head Hunters

If you are not on Linkedln, or on other professional networks such as Guardian Sustainable Business, or Tweeting about your industry you will miss out on opportunities. Many head hunters source candidates by searching on professional networks, and checking Twitter and other business news blogs to see who is commenting on sector changes. Sites like Linkedln are a great way to find mutual contacts and to build a reputation.

Head Hunters Look for Updated Profiles

One important aspect of professional networks and your online profile is CV currency. This means you regularly update your profile. Most head hunters make split second screening decisions, and if they see that your profile was last updated in 2009, they won’t believe that you are a valuable contact.

You do not have to call Head Hunters

If there is a motto for professional head hunters, it must be, “Don’t call us, we will call you”. This is because head hunters, by definition, are recruiters who make contact when they have a requirement to be filled. You can send your cv or CV to a head hunter, but most likely you will only hear from them when they have a suitable position for you. It follows that even when you are not actively looking for a job, you should send out your cv to as many head hunters as possible to stay front of mind with them.

Whether you’re already working in project management and keen to progress your career, or whether you’re new to the profession, there are a few key skills that will make a significant difference to your performance.

Organisational skills
It almost goes without saying that good organisational skills are essential for a project manager. However, if this isn’t your strong point then there’s no need to panic. If you have successfully completed project management training and follow a project management methodology, such as PRINCE2, you’ll have a really clear structure within which to run your projects, a framework of documentation that you know you need to complete, and guidance on timescales. If, even with all the support provided, you’re still struggling with organisation, it’s worth considering time management training.

People management skills
Managing people is also very important for a project manager. You may not be directly managing a team or individuals, but you will be working closely with a wide range of people, and will need their support. Whether it’s ‘managing upwards’ when you’re making sure a stakeholder signs things off on time, or managing external resources to get your project complete, you’ll really benefit from knowing how to get people to respond well to your requests.

Communication skills
Many of the key parts of project management rely on effective communication. From writing a business case to presenting you thoughts to a panel of experts, you need to be clear and confident to get your message across. If you can build good written communication skills, think how much faster you can work through your email inbox and respond to project stakeholders. Of course, it’s also important to have good verbal communication skills – particularly where you’re managing remote or virtual teams and doing significant part of your role by telephone.

Financial skills
While you don’t need to be an accountant to be an effective project manager, it helps to have a basic understanding of numbers. You’ll need to manage project budgets, watch for overspend or reallocate funds as appropriate. And of course, following the project you’ll need to review the spend to ensure that you improve project performance in the future.

Analysis skills
Post-project analysis is covered in many of the project management methodologies, such as PRINCE2, but as well as following the process, you’ll need to develop your own critical skills as well. One of the most important ways to improve project success is through on-going and post-project review. You’ll need to be able to understand what worked, and what didn’t.

Of course, not all skills come naturally, so it’s worth making sure that you’re able to undertake training in the areas where you need further support, as well as your core project management training. Once you’ve got these skills in place you’ll be in a really strong position to progress your career as a project manager.

Christmas is just over a month away, which means that for most marketers and advertisers the plans you had for your seasonal marketing should be should be coming to fruition about now. In fact the super organized or really keen, will be planning next year’s Christmas. The question is, with all the tinsel, baubles and Santas decorating everything from supermarkets and corner shops to B2B agencies how can you make your marketing stand out? After all you will be competing for attention with Coca Cola’s Holidays Are Coming advert!

1. Bah Humbug!
   Ignore Christmas altogether, or if you’re really brave run an anti-Christmas marketing campaign! This way you can get everyone who is feeling harassed and sick of Christmas by December 1^st into your store(s) for a bit of break. Interestingly I can only the only examples of this type of campaign I can find are Bah Humbug Ales. If nothing else this type of campaign would be an interesting experiment, though maybe best to try if you are targeting a very specific audience.
2. Get Out There
   Hit the Streets with some exhibitions stands and some samples. Though street marketing campaigns such as this are typically a summer activity if your staff dresses up warm and Christmassy then you can seize the initiative over more timid souls who prefer to spend the winter months in their warm offices and stores. Grab some banner stands and take control of the high street or train station.
3. Minimalist Decoration
   Amongst all the red, green and gold decorations that have become the standard Christmas uniform consider simpler decorations for a more sophisticated look. For example smaller single coloured fairy lights can offer a more subtle approach than that favoured by many stores, while still getting into the festive spirit. If you want to get really modern then use a black Christmas tree instead of the more traditional green.
4. Tell a Story
   In all honesty you should be doing this already, after all who doesn’t want to hear stories! But with the cold dark nights, Christmas is the time when stories will be particularly potent. So put the story of your business into your marketing for this time of year. For example are you family business? Then tell people about your traditions. If you are more corporate then why not talk about your history. If you are a start-up then talk about how exited you are to approach your first or second Christmas as a company!
5. Send a Christmas E-card.
   Show your customers that you are thinking of them. Hopefully you will already have a CRM system in place which will allow you to capture the contact details from your customers. So send them an E-card to remind them to look at your store this Christmas!