Interview with a Headhunter

When Nick A. Corcodilos started out in the headhunting business, nearly 20 years ago, he had a keen eye for tracking talent, but he couldn't always make the kill. While he would succeed in his part of the hunt, the job hunters whom he located would often fail in theirs. From his base in Silicon Valley, he would send all-star performers to blue-chip companies like Xerox, IBM, GE, and Hewlett-Packard. Corcodilos, now 43, knew that these candidates were right for the job -- yet they weren't bagging their quarry. They were misfiring before, during, or after the do-or-die interview.

So, instead of simply scouting for talent, Corcodilos began advising talent as well. He helped job hunters improve their kill ratios -- by getting them to pursue fewer companies, by helping them make the right contacts, and by showing them how to deliver what companies are looking for in an interview. Eventually he went online, and later he wrote a myth-busting book titled "Ask the Headhunter" (Penguin/Plume, 1997). Since moving his base of operations to Lebanon, New Jersey, he has taught career development to high-flying employees at such companies as AT&T, Merrill Lynch, and Procter & Gamble.

To help you conclude your next job search with a sure kill, Fast Company has asked Corcodilos to map out a plan for reinventing the rules of the hunt. (And since many people must hunt not only for work but also for talent, we offer three sidebars on how to recruit like a headhunter.)

In the following interview, Corcodilos covers the basics of a successful hunt, from preparation to tactics to execution. Bottom line: He shows you how to deliver the one, surefire thing that every employer is looking for -- proof that you can do the job, and do it profitably.

1. Your résumé is meaningless.

Headhunters know that a résumé rarely gets you inside a company. A résumé can't defend you or answer questions about you. All that a résumé can do is outline your past, and your past is largely irrelevant, because it doesn't demonstrate that you can do the work that the hiring manager needs to get done.

"A résumé leaves it up to employers to figure out how you can add value to their organization," says Corcodilos. "That's no way to sell yourself."

Recalling the old marketing adage that a free product sample gives customers a reason to want more, Corcodilos suggests that you do the same with your résumé: Give prospective employers an example of what you can do for them.

"Create a new area in your résumé," he advises. "Call it 'Value Offered.' In two sentences, state the value that you would bring to the employer. Be specific: You will probably have to create a separate résumé for each company that you approach.

"If you include a summary of your value that targets the hiring manager's needs, you'll transform your résumé into a marketing tool that distinguishes you as someone whose goal is to help the employer, rather than as someone who's simply out to get a job."