Ask the headhunter
by Nicholas A. Corcodilos · first published 1997
18mentions
8recommended by
9HN commenters
2010–2018first – last mentioned
89% recommend11% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Practical job-hunting advice from a recruiter's view: research target companies deeply, show how they need you, and handle interviews and salary talks with confidence. Suits anyone changing jobs, not only engineers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Headhunter-Reinventing-Interview-W... (Great book, but probably not worth buying. If memory serves, it is a little repetitive, but it is short and you can read it in a bookstore in one sitting.) Or go read back articles from Ask the Headhunter.
on “If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?” ↗…call yourself a generalist on the second line and call yourself OldCoder everywhere. Maybe you aren't doing yourself any favors? The best job hunting advice I ever read was from Nick Corcodilos' book Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job. The takeaway is that companies are trying to make money, and if you can demonstrate how you'll contribute to the bottom line, they'll have no choice to hire…
on “What Happens to Older Developers?” ↗The best advice I've seen on how to structure an interview came from Nick Corcodilos of Ask the Headhunter [1] fame, from his book Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job [2]. If you want to show someone you can do the job (or see if they can do the job), do the job, or as close as you can get to it in an…
on “How I ended up conducting successful tech interviews with just 1 question” ↗Nick Corcodilos of Ask the Headhunter has good things to say about this, along with a lot of other stellar advice: http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/
on “Ask HN: How do you politely refuse to disclose previous salary information?” ↗Couldn’t agree more. A long time ago somebody recommended Nick Corcodilos‘ book, “Ask The Headhunter“, and it changed the way I thought about job hunting. There’s a lot of great resouces on his site: https://www.asktheheadhunter.com
on “CV Compiler is a robot that fixes your resume to make you more competitive” ↗…exactly where you're coming from, having been there myself.) Here's a secret: in the workplace, unlike school, attitude trumps raw ability. Every single time. Think about what you really want. Maybe read Ask The Headhunter. Good luck.
on “A Tale of Two Interviews, Part 1” ↗…aligned with yours, sure. Recruiters aren't all bad - they can be one prong of your job-search strategy. (I just found a great startup job through a recruiter.) But don't put them in charge. And read Ask The Headhunter.
on “How To Find Unadvertised Jobs” ↗…treat your job search the way a recruiter operates in matching companies and talent (essentially, you research the heck out of a place where you'd want to work and then show them how they need you). The "Ask the Headhunter" book is a bit repetitive but may be worth picking up as well. Best of luck! And don't be too hard on yourself. The process will most likely have its setbacks.
on “Ask HN: I'm rebooting my life, and could really use your advice.” ↗…portfolio on GitHub." Two thoughts: First of all, you're thinking and planning and networking so far ahead that I already know you're going to do just fine. You have a winner's attitude. Second, read Ask The Headhunter. It's not software-specific, but is the best job-hunting approach I've ever seen. Have used it with several tech companies. No one can say what the job market will be in two years, but you're clearly…
on “Ask HN: Bad College to California, Any tips for jobs?” ↗I recommend checking out the site of Ask the Headhunter: http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/ Specifically, start with this page on the "New Interview": http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/basics5.htm The philosophy is very straightforward: show them you can do…
on “Ask HN: How should I prepare for an interview?” ↗The best approach to job-hunting I've ever found is described in the book Ask The Headhunter. Being on an H-1B will make your search more difficult, and the book doesn't address visa specifics. But when you do get interviews, it gives you the tools to make yourself very attractive to any hiring…
on “Conflicts with co-founder, nearly bankrupt, unknown future” ↗…especially wary. None of it is "wrong," but it doesn't offer any benefit to the employer, and comes across as unfocused and high maintenance. (Sorry - I assume you want the unvarnished truth.) DO read Ask The Headhunter.
on “Ask HN: Would you hire me?” ↗Many of the anecdotes related here remind me of my own first job-hunting experience - not in a good way. Best advice I ever got? Read Ask The Headhunter. It's not all about you. These employers have a problem to be solved - that's why they're hiring. Figure out what their problem is, and how you can solve it for them.
on “Job hunting experience (and few advices)” ↗Plus one for reading Nick (the author of 'Ask the Headhunter': http://asktheheadhunter.com/ The site has been 'online since 1995' and looks like it, but has a wealth of advice for taking control of your destiny when looking for a new job. This is my favorite…
on “How To Find Unadvertised Jobs” ↗Salary information is part of the negotiation for the job. Learn to negotiate and how to answer the question without answering the question. Read "Ask The Headhunter's" articles/columns on salary negotiation for some background information. If you say too large of number, you won't be hired. If you say too low of number, then you either leave $$$ on the table or…
on “Ask HN: What should i answer to a question about salary?” ↗