ALT-2 Drawbacks of using a Headhunter when looking for a Job
Although there can be significant benefits derived from hiring the services of a headhunter, there are also some associated risks. Since headhunters are basically in the business of publicity as they market your skills and talents for the appropriate employer, these talent brokers hardly get any negative press. Job seekers are mostly aware that they stand to reap considerable benefits from using the services of a headhunter, for instance, the service is usually free to the applicant and the headhunter may be aware of vacancies that have not yet been advertised on the open market. In this instance, the resources of a headhunter can be invaluable, but there are a few drawbacks that need careful consideration.
The following are three of the top disadvantages of using a headhunter from the point of view of the job seeker.
1)Headhunters Can Limit Your Opportunities
2) The Headhunter is Paid for Placements
3) Headhunters Can Misrepresent You to the Employer
Headhunters Can Limit Your Opportunities
While reputable headhunters have been known to have inside knowledge of vacancies in their specialist industries all headhunters are not created equal. Enlisting the services of a headhunter is therefore no reason to confidently sit back and expect the best job to fall into your lap. As a matter of fact, choosing the wrong headhunter can leave you with an extremely small pool of options at your disposal.
The Headhunter is Paid for Placements
While this can be to the job seeker’s benefit on the one hand, because it means you get the service for free, on the other it is also a downside, because it means their loyalty is to the employer. Top notch headhunters may try to please the job applicant in addition to the employer by finding the perfect match, but when it comes down to filling a vacancy and satisfying every request of the applicant they most often choose to fill the vacancy. This can result in headhunters pressuring applicants to accept positions without properly evaluating what is right for them on a personal level. The headhunter does not typically look out for your career path; he simply tries to satisfy the employer by finding a suitable candidate for the current position.
Headhunters Can Misrepresent a Job Seeker to the Employer
There is no real way of knowing how your case is being presented. A headhunter may have more than one applicant that could be suitable for a specific position and for selfish reasons push one over the other.
Using a headhunter could take you one step closer to the job of your dreams, but this decision could also take you several steps back. You need to carefully examine your situation before choosing a headhunter and also take the initiative to seek your own interests.
