A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a head hunter who found my resume on LinkedIn. He introduced himself to me, and was telling me that he was impressed with my resume. He also said that he could be a resource to me and would like to chat some time to get to know my career goals and possibly bounce some opportunities my way. I replied to him asking for his company's name and website. He provided that along with a direct line. We connected on LinkedIn, so I can see his experience. I haven't responded back since. Although he is in the local area, I'm skeptical. Has anyone experienced this? Should I trust this person, and see what he can offer? Thanks.
PS: I am looking for another job opportunity, but he doesn't know that.
You're a Lead
Successful realtors will tell you that it's all about lead generation. It sounds to me as if he was surfing LinkedIn looking for leads. You appear to be a good one, not only based upon your resume, but because of the judgement you've shown by being skeptical.
I've heard stories of people looking for positions who could never get a recruiter to take them seriously. This recruiter apparently takes you seriously so since you're in the market, proceed down that road. Wouldn't hurt to check out a couple of references, but I'm sure you've already thought of that.
I'll take a chance, but with caution.
Thanks for the input Glenn. I've never been confronted like this before. It's not everyday some stranger reaches out and tells you that they are impressed with your background. I've heard mixed things about recruiters and didn't want to jeopardize my current job or any future opportunities (It doesn't help that I can be a tad paranoid as well.). I went to their website and sifted through their FAQs.
I sent a message back on LinkedIn trying to set up a possible time. In the mean time, I went to Yelp.com and found many people had negative reviews about this particular firm. I'll be sure to ask them about that and why I should trust their company. As far as I 'm concerned, I don't have anything to lose and can see where this takes me.
Good Luck!
Again, I compliment you on your judgement. That sounds like a good plan to me.
Well done
Hello JGILL,
I think you're doing very well. Experiences with recruiters are quite mixed. There are many in the market who only look for the quick buck, try to fill up their database with as many skills-laden resumés as possible, and will steal your time. There are, however, also real gems who get to know and nurture their people, keep their long-term career goals in mind, and then make excellent introductions. I'm still in touch with a VERY senior guy who was once going to hire me, it never happened, but we've become a mentor/mentee couple of sorts, and I'll always be grateful to the recruiter who introduced us (and only us, it seemed, no other candidates). Companies will pay the latter a lot of money and put a lot of trust into them regarding candidate pre-selection, so if you yourself have a good relationship with on or two of them, this can only be beneficial.
So you should proceed as you did: Be cautious, do your "background checks", find out his motives and remain open. He may have something to offer, and there isn't really a lot you can lose if you're actually interested in a new position.
If you really want to make a career move in the foreseeable future, I also suggest you let go a bit of your general skepticism and actively try to find out a recruiter that works well for you. As said, they can be real gems. (And, if I recall correctly, there is Manager Tools guidance available on how to find and leverage them).
Good luck
Jochen