I came across this article on one of my group in Linked-in. It was posted by Abbas Jalias Rizvi, Deputy Manager Recruitment, ACME Tele Power Limited
This question was asked to me just when my career as a Search Consultant had started. I believe one is born a Search guy; we are headhunters by birth or not.
So what is mandatory to be in Headhunting:
1. Memory: Always remember whom you interacted with, even if it has been years. Or at least don't let the other person know if you don't remember at all. The name of key people in the industry or vertical should be on tips and the movements keenly watched for and scrutinized too.
2. Relationship: A personal side always help in the Indian scenario. People love to meet for lunch and talk over a cup of tea. These activities go a long way. After all relations are what we build and networks are what we thrive on. But more important than that is what kind of value adds these things can do for you. Some people can be good information churners for a headhunter, what we call the insiders, and some people would like to even give you a casual call for infomation. So people connect with you for something or the other. It's a give and take relationship, which at least we would like to call in good words mutually beneficial.
3. Ego: I have come to believe now that it's not about money, it's not about anything else. It is about power. The power of information and the maturity the Search industry can provide you is what I still love it for. This overwhelming sense of reach and approach make people sustain in it for long. It's the equality and fair share of ears from people double my age which I loved. You are a consultant to all.
To sum up, I would like to just state what I said to my batchmates when they asked me for my choice of industry. "I am interacting with those people right now whom you would continue seeing newpapers, television, and websites for another 10 years. And yes I address them with their first names."
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=51584&discussionID=557407&commentID=692281&trk=discq_mor&goback=%2Ehom#commentID_692281.
