How to get on executive recruiters' radar screens
如何進入高端獵頭的視野
Dear Annie: I'm in upper-middle management at a big company where, as you wrote about in your recent column, I really feel stuck. I think I'd have a better shot at moving up somewhere else, maybe at a smaller company, especially if I can leverage my expertise in my field to get the attention of executive recruiters who might be searching for someone like me.
親愛的安妮：我在一家大公司任中高層管理職務，就像你在最近的一篇專欄文章中所寫，我真地感到自己被困在這里了。我認為，我應當?shù)狡渌胤綄ふ腋玫臋C會，或許在一家小一點的公司。如果我能憑借一己之長獲得高端獵頭關注的話就更好了，他們也許正在物色像我這樣的人。
I've heard over and over again that one way to establish a reputation as a “go-to” person in a specialized area of knowledge is to give speeches at conferences and other industry gatherings, but my question is, how does one break into that? Don't conference organizers usually look for experienced speakers -- and （a classic Catch-22）， if you don't have speaking experience, how are you supposed to get it? — Restless
我常常聽說，要將自己打造成某一特定領域內的“專家型人才”，一個辦法就是在會議或其他行業(yè)集會中發(fā)表演講。但我的問題是，如何能獲得這樣的機會？難道會議組織者尋找的不都是有經(jīng)驗的演講嘉賓嗎——（這是一個經(jīng)典的第二十條軍規(guī)），如果你沒有演講的經(jīng)驗，如何才能獲得這樣的機會呢？——“閑不住”
Dear Restless: It's certainly true that recruiters scout conferences for talent （which is one reason why it's smart to go to them, even if your employer won't foot the bill）。 But “it's a common misperception that, if you have no speaking experience, you can't break in to national events as a speaker, ” says Lisa Calhoun. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
親愛的“閑不住”： 獵頭們參加會議物色人才，這當然是真的（這也是為什么積極參加會議是一個聰明的做法，就算東家不給你埋單也沒關系）。但“如果認為沒有發(fā)言經(jīng)驗，就不可能作為發(fā)言人參加全國性的活動，那就犯了一個常見的錯誤，”麗薩？卡爾霍恩說。“實際情況遠非如此。”
Calhoun is CEO of Write2Market, an Atlanta-based communications firm that organizes conferences. “What conference organizers are dying for is speakers, unknown or not, who have practical, expert know-how in a given subject area, ” she says.
卡爾霍恩是亞特蘭大專門組織各類會議的傳播公司W(wǎng)rite2Market的CEO。她說：“會議組織者們最缺的就是發(fā)言人，知名的、不知名的都可以，只要他們在特定主題領域有實踐的專家級知識技能。”
She recommends three steps for getting a spot on the program at a big event. First, “make a list of all the conferences where you think attendees would have a lot to learn from you. Research those opportunities by looking at the program from last year's conference, ” Calhoun says. Second, “figure out what makes you unique, so that your proposed session will stand out.”
對于如何獲得大型活動的演講機會，她給出了三步建議。首先，“整理一份清單，列出所有你能讓與會者深受教益會議?？梢詤⒄杖ツ陼h安排，研究這些機會?！笨柣舳髡f。第二步，“找出自己獨一無二的地方，這樣你提議的演講內容才能脫穎而出?！?/span>
And third, send a succinct email to the person in charge of lining up speakers. “Be sure and identify three specific items that session attendees will learn, preferably in a short list of bullet points. Then write a sentence or two on why you are particularly qualified to address these topics, ” Calhoun says. “Well-researched, practical proposals have a tremendously high acceptance rate.”
第三步，給安排發(fā)言人的負責人發(fā)一封簡明的郵件?！按_定并列出與會者將會學到的三項具體內容，最好用要點來簡要列明。然后，用一兩句話說明為什么你格外適合討論這些話題，”卡爾霍恩說。“經(jīng)過精心調研、切實可行的提議擁有異常高的接受率?！?/span>
You probably won't be a keynote speaker your first time out, she adds, but that's okay. A breakout session at the right conference can actually establish your reputation among the smaller subset of attendees whose opinion of you matters most, so “don't discount breakout sessions. Apply for them diligently, ” Calhoun advises. “And when you do address one, get a friend to videotape your presentation, so you can use the video in your next round of speaking submissions.”
可能不會第一次就成為主題演講人，她補充說，但沒關系。在適合的會議中進行一次分會討論，可以在較小范圍的聽眾群體中建立聲望，他們對你的看法至關重要，因此“不要看輕分組討論。積極申請，”卡爾霍恩建議說?！霸跁h上發(fā)言時，請一個朋友拍下演講的過程，下次就可以用這段視頻來申請新的發(fā)言機會了。”
Great, but one word of caution: Public speaking these days is not for the faint of heart. Scott Weiss is head of a firm called Speakeasy that has coached executives at Microsoft （MSFT）， Toyota （TM）， Cisco （CSCO）， Wells Fargo （WFC）， and many other big companies on the fine points of effective public speaking. He notes that a growing number of business events now feature live Twitter feeds that let the audience Tweet comments and questions during speeches. The Tweets often show up either on a laptop on the podium or on a giant screen set up on the stage that is visible to everyone in the room.
好主意，但這里提個醒：公開演講不適合膽小者。斯科特？威斯是Speakeasy的負責人，這家公司給微軟（Microsoft）、豐田（Toyota）、思科（Cisco）和富國銀行（Wells Fargo）等很多大公司的高管提供培訓，教授有效公開發(fā)言的要點。他指出，如今越來越多的商業(yè)活動都提供現(xiàn)場Twitter互動，觀眾在聽演講過程中將他們的評論和問題用Twitter發(fā)布。這些在Twitter上發(fā)布的信息通常要么顯示在講臺上的一個筆記本電腦上，要么顯示在一個舞臺上設立的大屏幕上，以便房間里的每個人都能看到。
“Twitter is really changing the game,” observes Weiss, adding that, even if you don't see the instant Twitter feedback on what you're saying, “people are still tweeting about you. When you look out at the audience and see everyone's thumbs going, it can be distracting,” he notes. “Along with all the other stresses of speaking to an audience, you now have this added layer to contend with. It's nerve-wracking” -- especially for a neophyte speaker who may already be nervous enough.
“Twitter正在真正改變演講，”威斯稱，就算看不到人們在Twitter上對你演講內容的即時反饋，“人們仍在用Twitter談論你?？粗^眾席，一眼望去，每個人都在活動大拇指，發(fā)送信息，真地挺讓人分神，”他說?！俺嗣嫦蛴^眾演講的其他所有壓力，現(xiàn)在又有了這個新出現(xiàn)的層面需要考慮。的確讓人發(fā)狂”——特別是對于已經(jīng)足夠緊張的演講新手。
Indeed, for anyone who is prone to stage fright to begin with, the Twitter-factor may be a deal breaker. Luckily, there are other ways to catch an executive recruiter's eye besides standing up in front of an in-person audience and strutting your stuff. Contributing bylined articles to trade journals and other professional publications can get you noticed, too.
確實，對于任何一個容易怯場的人，Twitter互動可能都會成為壓垮人的最后一根稻草。幸運的是，除了親自站在會議觀眾面前，昂首挺胸故作姿態(tài)之外，還有其他方式吸引高管獵頭的注意。向行業(yè)雜志或其他專業(yè)出版物提供署名文章，同樣也能贏得關注。
And don't overlook the direct approach: Get in touch with a few recruiters who specialize in your field and let them know you're interested in swapping contacts. Even if you're not quite the right fit for a job opening a headhunter is trying to fill right now, you may know someone who is. One of the surest ways to stay on a recruiter's radar screen is to help out by recommending and introducing others.
同時，不要忽視直接接觸。結識幾位專攻你所在領域的幾家招聘獵頭，讓他們知道你有興趣互換聯(lián)系方式。即便你本人不太適合一家獵頭正在努力尋找的職位空缺，你或許認識合適的人選。幫助推薦或引薦別人，這是留在獵頭的視野范圍之內最管用的做法之一。
Since headhunters often troll for talent on social media sites, make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and up-to-date. “Well-chosen key words, a demonstration of career progression, and obviously solid titles, companies, and education will catch our attention,” says Justin Hirsch, president of Chicago-based recruiting firm JobPlex, adding that a strong network on LinkedIn means “you can get referred to us and, at the same time, we can find you.”
此外，由于獵頭常常在社交媒體網(wǎng)站上搜索人才，因此，一定要確保你在商務社交網(wǎng)站LinkedIn上的簡歷完整并及時得到更新?！熬倪x擇關鍵詞，展現(xiàn)職業(yè)發(fā)展，明顯而實在的職位、公司和教育經(jīng)歷都能吸引我們的關注，”芝加哥獵頭公司JobPlex總裁賈斯汀？赫施稱，在LinkedIn上擁有強大的網(wǎng)絡意味著“你可能會被別人推薦給我們，同時，我們也能找到你?！?/span>
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