How to get on executive recruiters' radar screens
如何进入高端猎头的视野
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.
亲爱的安妮：我在一家大公司任中高层管理职务，就像你在最近的一篇专栏文章中所写，我真地感到自己被困在这里了。我认为，我应当到其他地方寻找更好的机会，或许在一家小一点的公司。如果我能凭借一己之长获得高端猎头关注的话就更好了，他们也许正在物色像我这样的人。
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
我常常听说，要将自己打造成某一特定领域内的“专家型人才”，一个办法就是在会议或其他行业集会中发表演讲。但我的问题是，如何能获得这样的机会？难道会议组织者寻找的不都是有经验的演讲嘉宾吗——（这是一个经典的第二十条军规），如果你没有演讲的经验，如何才能获得这样的机会呢？——“闲不住”
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.”
亲爱的“闲不住”： 猎头们参加会议物色人才，这当然是真的（这也是为什么积极参加会议是一个聪明的做法，就算东家不给你埋单也没关系）。但“如果认为没有发言经验，就不可能作为发言人参加全国性的活动，那就犯了一个常见的错误，”丽萨？卡尔霍恩说。“实际情况远非如此。”
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.
卡尔霍恩是亚特兰大专门组织各类会议的传播公司Write2Market的CEO。她说：“会议组织者们最缺的就是发言人，知名的、不知名的都可以，只要他们在特定主题领域有实践的专家级知识技能。”
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.”
对于如何获得大型活动的演讲机会，她给出了三步建议。首先，“整理一份清单，列出所有你能让与会者深受教益会议。可以参照去年会议安排，研究这些机会。”卡尔霍恩说。第二步，“找出自己独一无二的地方，这样你提议的演讲内容才能脱颖而出。”
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，给安排发言人的负责人发一封简明的邮件。“确定并列出与会者将会学到的三项具体内容，最好用要点来简要列明。然后，用一两句话说明为什么你格外适合讨论这些话题，”卡尔霍恩说。“经过精心调研、切实可行的提议拥有异常高的接受率。”
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.”
可能不会第一次就成为主题演讲人，她补充说，但没关系。在适合的会议中进行一次分会讨论，可以在较小范围的听众群体中建立声望，他们对你的看法至关重要，因此“不要看轻分组讨论。积极申请，”卡尔霍恩建议说。“在会议上发言时，请一个朋友拍下演讲的过程，下次就可以用这段视频来申请新的发言机会了。”
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，但这里提个醒：公开演讲不适合胆小者。斯科特？威斯是Speakeasy的负责人，这家公司给微软（Microsoft）、丰田（Toyota）、思科（Cisco）和富国银行（Wells Fargo）等很多大公司的高管提供培训，教授有效公开发言的要点。他指出，如今越来越多的商业活动都提供现场Twitter互动，观众在听演讲过程中将他们的评论和问题用Twitter发布。这些在Twitter上发布的信息通常要么显示在讲台上的一个笔记本电脑上，要么显示在一个舞台上设立的大屏幕上，以便房间里的每个人都能看到。
“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正在真正改变演讲，”威斯称，就算看不到人们在Twitter上对你演讲内容的即时反馈，“人们仍在用Twitter谈论你。看着观众席，一眼望去，每个人都在活动大拇指，发送信息，真地挺让人分神，”他说。“除了面向观众演讲的其他所有压力，现在又有了这个新出现的层面需要考虑。的确让人发狂”——特别是对于已经足够紧张的演讲新手。
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.
确实，对于任何一个容易怯场的人，Twitter互动可能都会成为压垮人的最后一根稻草。幸运的是，除了亲自站在会议观众面前，昂首挺胸故作姿态之外，还有其他方式吸引高管猎头的注意。向行业杂志或其他专业出版物提供署名文章，同样也能赢得关注。
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.
同时，不要忽视直接接触。结识几位专攻你所在领域的几家招聘猎头，让他们知道你有兴趣互换联系方式。即便你本人不太适合一家猎头正在努力寻找的职位空缺，你或许认识合适的人选。帮助推荐或引荐别人，这是留在猎头的视野范围之内最管用的做法之一。
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，由于猎头常常在社交媒体网站上搜索人才，因此，一定要确保你在商务社交网站LinkedIn上的简历完整并及时得到更新。“精心选择关键词，展现职业发展，明显而实在的职位、公司和教育经历都能吸引我们的关注，”芝加哥猎头公司JobPlex总裁贾斯汀？赫施称，在LinkedIn上拥有强大的网络意味着“你可能会被别人推荐给我们，同时，我们也能找到你。”
