This makes it easier for IT headhunters to find you as a developer
In the wild west, it was actually better to avoid a headhunter. The rather shady bounty hunters were looking for criminals dead or alive and pocketed a fat bounty for it from the sheriff. Things are less martial in the modern professional world, but the competition among headhunters – or “recruitment agents” as they are more unglamorously called in German – is still high. Especially in the IT sector, where well-trained specialists are in short supply. In the service of well-paying IT companies, the modern bounty hunters seek out the most promising employees and, if necessary, poach them from other companies. Want to get on the radar of tech recruiters? With these tips you are guaranteed to be addressed soon.
Use the most important networks of IT recruiters
Of course, the professional networks Xing and LinkedIn are particularly important here, but the importance of the “leisure time networks” Facebook, Twitter and so on should not be underestimated either. The most important rule here is: In order to be found, you must be visible. Make clear information about your skills and your CV, especially in the professional networks. Xing, for example, offers the option of tagging your most important skills and making them easy to find. Don't be shy and reference IT and programming projects that you're really proud of in your portfolio. In addition, there is the discreet possibility of displaying your current career status to headhunters. Ready for something new, or just open to offers? In this respect, the online job search can definitely be compared to using a dating portal. Accordingly, do not be too aggressive in signaling your openness to job offers. If you are currently employed, a “job hunt” in your online profile can irritate your previous employer! So it is better to use subliminal phrases like “always looking for new challenges”.
This is how you get the right offer from IT headhunters
Many developers and IT professionals complain that headhunters approach them but never get the “right” offer. It feels like they are only informed about uninteresting or irrelevant jobs. But that can also be because you don’t always formulate clearly what you actually want. In their search for the right candidate, headhunters can only judge what they reveal about themselves. So share your aspirations with the world and only list the skills that will qualify you for your dream job. Tailor your CV to your dream job - and specifically leave out what you don't want to be asked about. Direct contact also helps if you have received another irrelevant offer from a headhunter. Instead of deleting the email without comment, simply tell the recruiter what the problem is. Tell him that this offer really doesn't lure you out from behind the stove, but that you're willing to drop everything immediately for a job that... This email won't take you 5 minutes, but you'll improve your chances significantly that at least this recruiter will only contact you with exciting offers. What's more, this exercise will also help you to be clear about what you actually envision for your professional future.
Attract attention from IT headhunters
Are you leading a workshop, giving a lecture or writing a blog or print article? Great! Make sure the world—and the recruiting profession—knows about it. It would be silly to start a blog as a passive job search or join Stack Overflow just to look good. But if you're already doing all of this because you're really passionate about it, then please don't hide your expertise. Link your resume and online profiles to websites and projects that let headhunters know about your skills in your field. This way you can easily see where your talents lie and what you are passionate about in your free time. And so you are much more likely to receive an offer that suits you perfectly.
Inform your network
One tactic used by headhunters is to call industry experts and executives and ask directly for personal recommendations for an open position. You can easily use this for yourself. Let your network and acquaintances know what you do professionally and what your focus is. Incidentally, you can signal that you would always be ready for a career leap. This way, your acquaintances know you and can recommend you if they are asked for a personal recommendation. And for you, that's no more of a hassle than a bit of small talk at the next conference.
More than 50% of developers are passively looking for a job
More than 50% of all employed developers state that they are “open to new and interesting offers. That means you're only passively looking for a job, so you don't want to put a lot of work into a new position - but if someone comes around the corner with a promising offer, don't say no either. However, very few of them will have taken the steps necessary for these offers to come. With the simple measures from this article, you have already become a good deal more interesting for headhunters without much effort and you will soon receive an offer that you cannot refuse!
