Is the job market really starting to improve?
Is the job market really starting to improve? How can you get headhunters to notice you? Is it okay to exaggerate your current pay in order to get more money? Read on.

FORTUNE
 
By Anne Fisher

To many, the world of executive recruiters is a bit of a mystery. Whether you're actively job hunting, or just want to make sure you're considered when promising opportunities come along, headhunters' knowledge of the inner workings of the job market can be highly valuable. I recently had a long chat with Gregg Grossman, founder and president of Vantage Point Associates (http://www.vpasearch.com), a New York City executive-search firm specializing in information technology and new media. He said so many interesting things that I'd like to pass along a few of them here. Some excerpts from our conversation:

Q. I'm hearing rumors from some recruiters that the market for management talent is finally starting to pick up again. Are you seeing that, too?

A. Definitely. I do senior-management searches--the average pay package of our candidates is about $300,000--and, among my clients, things started turning around at the beginning of the second quarter. Before that, from mid-2001 to mid-2003, almost all the searches we did were for replacements. A company had fired their CFO, for example, and needed a new one. But overall headcount was not going up. In the past five or six months, that has changed. We're doing a lot more searches that reflect expansion and growth. Companies are adding headcount again. I think it's a very good sign.

Q. People often ask me what they can do to get noticed by recruiters. How do job candidates get on your radar screen?

A. Well, the tried-and-true ways are by giving speeches at industry conferences, writing articles for trade journals, and the like--anything that raises your profile and establishes you as an expert in some aspect of what you do. But we dig deeper than that, too. Anything that makes you visible in your field will make your name come up in a Google search on the Web. Even companies' in-house newsletters are often indexed on the Internet, so writing something for one of those will get your name out there. Let's say you're a product manager and you write a piece on effective ways of dealing with customers. We'll find you!

A referral from someone you know is a great way to get a recruiter's attention, too. If you get in touch directly and don't hear anything back, it probably means you've pitched yourself to the wrong recruiter. Often people want us to help them change careers, especially lately, but that's not what we do. Employers pay us to find a round peg for a round hole, and the rounder the better--not to bring in people who are trying to switch fields. If you're in software and want to make the transition into health care, don't call a health-care recruiter, call a software recruiter. You're far more likely to get your foot in the door, and then you can ask that person to introduce you to the health-care recruiter, once you've built a relationship with that firm. You really have to start by offering the recruiter something that he or she actually wants.

Q. What are some of the mistakes you've seen? What blows a candidate's chances?

A. One guy, a very senior-level candidate, started screaming at his kids while I was interviewing him on his home phone. I was appalled. I mean, we all have moments we wouldn't want recorded for the evening news--I'm a parent myself, so I understand that--but it just showed a real lack of control. If you're going to start screaming, at least put your hand over the mouthpiece first. He didn't get the job, and to this day I'll bet he doesn't know why.

Another thing is, people assume that only what goes on in a formal interview really "counts." That's not true. All of your interactions with others, not just with the interviewer, are being scrutinized. If you come off like an arrogant jerk, that will be noticed. I've seen people disqualified for jobs because they were rude to the receptionist.

But the biggest thing is, don't lie. And don't leave things vague. Let's say you don't have a college degree, and you put on your resume, "New York University, 1985-1989." Well, did you graduate or not? If not, don't try to make it look as if you did. Some lies are things that people don't even know are lies. For instance, let's say you got laid off. Outplacement counselors will tell people to put on their resume, "(Whatever the last job was), 1998 to present." But if in fact you haven't worked in six months or a year, that's a lie. Don't fudge dates. With all the corporate scandals going on now, you want to avoid any appearance of not being 100% honest,

And if you're going to lie about your salary, which people often do when they think they're underpaid, lie really big. If you make $80,000, don't say you make $90,000--say you make $120,000. If you get caught, you're screwed either way, so you might as well go for it.

I'm kidding of course. Never lie about your pay. If you believe you're underpaid, say so. Tell me what you really make--and why you're worth more. I'll hear you.