Headhunters and Experienced Candidates: Getting Noticed for Your Expertise

What a headhunter actually does

A headhunter, also called an executive search consultant, works for a company that needs one very particular person. Instead of placing an advert and waiting for applications, the consultant identifies professionals who are already in a role or have only recently become available, contacts them, assesses their career and then presents the client with a short list of candidates.

The search firm is normally paid by the employer, not by the candidate. That explains why most assignments concern senior responsibilities: general management, leadership of teams, rare technical expertise or a strategic sales position. The headhunter is therefore not looking for an older person as such. They are looking for someone who has already succeeded in a setting similar to the client's.

Why long experience can interest a search firm

For some assignments, many years in a profession are precisely what the client wants. A company that has to turn an activity around, set up a subsidiary, open a market or build a team will often prefer someone who has already been through the same situation.

• Detailed knowledge of a sector and of the people in it.
• An existing network of customers, suppliers or partners.
• The ability to decide under uncertainty, built up over several economic cycles.
• A talent for passing on skills and coaching younger colleagues.

None of this is a guarantee. In France, age discrimination in hiring is prohibited, yet some clients remain cautious. A good consultant defends the profile by linking it to a concrete need rather than to a date of birth.

A permanent post or a short assignment: two different routes

Classic executive search leads to an employment contract, most often an open-ended one. It implies a commitment of several years and availability that is immediate or nearly so.

Another route appeals to many experienced people: interim management. These are assignments lasting a few months, given to a senior manager or director to cover an absent leader, run a growth project or steer a company through a period of change. Interim managers usually work as self-employed contractors and are paid by the day or by the assignment, depending on the firm and the client.

This formula suits anyone who wants to stay active without returning to a full-time job. The trade-off is gaps between assignments, uneven income and a working status that has to be set up carefully.

The profiles most often sought

The roles that come up most often in interim and direct-search assignments are general management, finance, human resources, operations and sales leadership, along with certain highly specialised technical jobs. Lawyers, purchasing managers, and experts in logistics, quality or information systems are also in demand at different times.

Several years of experience at a comparable level of responsibility is generally expected. Headhunters look mainly at three things: the results achieved, the size and nature of the organisations led, and the coherence of the career path.

A more hands-on or craft-based profile is rarely approached through this channel. Other routes, such as a professional network, specialist agencies or dedicated platforms, then work better.

Preparing a clear profile before anyone calls

A headhunter works quickly and from very little information. Before any contact, it is worth polishing the material they will look at.

1. Update your online professional profile: a clear job title, your sector, the scope you managed and measurable results.
2. Write a CV of two pages at most, focused on the last fifteen years, with achievements rather than lists of tasks.
3. Prepare a two-minute spoken introduction: what you can do, for what type of company and under what conditions.
4. Line up a few people willing to vouch for you, because a search firm almost always checks references.

It helps to say what you really want: full-time, part-time, an assignment of a few months, willingness to relocate or not. A precise profile is easier to remember than one that accepts anything.

Becoming visible without waiting for the phone to ring

Being spotted cannot be arranged, but certain habits raise your visibility with search firms.

• Look after your network: former colleagues, clients, suppliers and leaders met during your career are often the first to recommend a name.
• Publish or speak: a substantial article, a conference talk or a contribution to a trade journal or professional association demonstrates expertise.
• Contact a few firms that specialise in your sector with a short message and your CV, without waiting for a vacancy.
• Register with interim management platforms that let managers upload a profile.

Regularity matters more than volume: a handful of well-chosen firms is worth more than a mass mailing.

How a conversation with a search firm unfolds

The first contact is often a call or a message. The consultant describes the role in general terms and checks whether you are interested. Next comes an interview, by video or in person, focused on your career, motivations, salary expectations and availability.

If your profile is kept, it is presented to the client with a written report. You then meet the company, sometimes several times, before a decision is made. Depending on the organisation, the whole process can last from a few weeks to several months.

A few precautions apply. Never pay to be introduced to an employer, ask for the client's name before sharing sensitive information, and keep a written record of any confidentiality agreement.

Limits and pitfalls to be aware of

The first pitfall is believing that the firm works for the candidate. It works for its client, and its loyalty lies with the company that pays it, even though an honest relationship with candidates is in its own interest.

The second concerns pace. Some people wait for a call that never comes. A strategy based only on being headhunted exposes you to long silences, so it is sensible to combine it with other approaches such as networking, published vacancies or agencies placing managers on temporary contracts.

Finally, some unscrupulous organisations present themselves as recruitment firms while selling paid services: coaching, CV writing, training courses. A genuine headhunter asks the candidate for none of these. Check that the firm really exists, look at its references and verify its contact details before replying.

An example of a transition path for a former finance director

As an illustration, imagine a former finance director from an industrial company, close to retirement, who wants to carry on at a reduced pace. They update their online profile, state that they offer assignments of six to nine months, and contact three interim management firms and one dedicated platform.

A few weeks later one of the firms invites them to interview for an assignment to reorganise the accounting function of a medium-sized business. The work is done part-time, as a self-employed contractor, and ends on the planned date. They then remain on the firm's books for future opportunities.

This example is not a promise. Success depends on the sector, the demand of the moment and the quality of the network.

Retirement, status and income: points to check

Going back to work while drawing a pension means understanding the rules on combining the two. In France, whether you can combine them freely generally depends on your age, your contribution record and whether you have claimed every pension you are entitled to. Changes have been announced for the coming years, so check with your pension fund before committing.

For an assignment as a contractor you must also choose a legal status, such as a micro-business, a company or an umbrella arrangement, and find out about contributions and professional insurance. These matters are not the search firm's concern; they remain the consultant's own responsibility.