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As I was getting out of college I posted a resume online. Before I had any leads from that, I ended up getting a job through a networking event. Two years lat

As I was getting out of college I posted a resume online. Before I had any leads from that, I ended up getting a job through a networking event. Two years later, I get an email from a headhunter who found my original resume. It led to my current job, which I enjoy a whole lot more. One thing to keep in mind is that the salary negotiation goes through the headhunter, and it certainly seems like they get additional money the lower of a salary you accept. So never accept the first offer.

tomp 13y ago
> it certainly seems like they get additional money the lower of a salary you accept Are you sure about that? AFAIK, they get a percentage (20%? maybe more?) of your starting (yearly) salary. So your interests (get a high salary) are aligned with their. I assume they also have a clause in the contract that they get paid only if the candidate stays at the job for a certain period of time. At least that's what I would demand as an employer.
- cobrausn 13y ago
  It certainly depends on the contract the headhunter has with the company, but I have followed up on this suspicion by asking a few people who 'know', and they told me this can often be the case. It makes sense to me at least - if they can bring you in at a lower starting salary, they probably save the company a lot of money in the long term.
pixeloution 13y ago
Almost all recruiters are paid a % of first year salary - 30% was a very common figure when recruiters contacted me to see if we wanted candidates for open positions. That being said, its not in the recruiter's best interest to try to maximize your salary. The difference between you earning 90k and 100k results in a trivial commission difference to the actual recruiter. His interest is aligned with placing you as quickly as possible and moving on to another position. Its very similar to how your real estate agent isn't really motivated to get you an extra 5k on your 300k home.

tomp 13y ago

> it certainly seems like they get additional money the lower of a salary you accept Are you sure about that? AFAIK, they get a percentage (20%? maybe more?) of your starting (yearly) salary. So your interests (get a high salary) are aligned with their. I assume they also have a clause in the contract that they get paid only if the candidate stays at the job for a certain period of time. At least that's what I would demand as an employer.

cobrausn 13y ago
It certainly depends on the contract the headhunter has with the company, but I have followed up on this suspicion by asking a few people who 'know', and they told me this can often be the case. It makes sense to me at least - if they can bring you in at a lower starting salary, they probably save the company a lot of money in the long term.

pixeloution 13y ago

Almost all recruiters are paid a % of first year salary - 30% was a very common figure when recruiters contacted me to see if we wanted candidates for open positions. That being said, its not in the recruiter's best interest to try to maximize your salary. The difference between you earning 90k and 100k results in a trivial commission difference to the actual recruiter. His interest is aligned with placing you as quickly as possible and moving on to another position. Its very similar to how your real estate agent isn't really motivated to get you an extra 5k on your 300k home.