Now I am certainly not the most high profile blogger in the world, despite reaching visitor numbers of…..ooooooh tens of……people these days. However, put me into Google (research purposes you understand) and I pretty much pop up a fair bit.
You don’t really even need to click on a link to see I am in PR, corp and tech, live in Cornwall and am fairly keen on the whole flexible work business. It’s my thing, you could say.
Not if you were the very pleasant but not very well prepared headhunter that called me this week. Or indeed the one that called two weeks ago.
Oh no.
Now, first I thought it was a one off, then it happened twice. So I’m going to blog it. Here’s how it went:
“Got your name blah, interested in a very senior position etc good agency blah…did name them but I shan’t”
Me: “OK, I should stop you there, do you know that I am based in Cornwall” explain virtual office concept/flexible ethic etc
“Oh, they wouldn’t go for that, it is senior role and involves building a team you see”
Hmmm…..now I should have said, “Oh. Sorry, I thought it involved stuffing envelopes from home, you got the wrong gal then” or even, “no thanks love, i am very happy where I am” instead, I went on to try to defend my role and my lifestyle. I even started blathering on the whole “agencies have to wake up, if they want to keep good people” blarney and I didn’t even want the job.
To be fair to the one tonight, she did listen to my ego rant and I am sure she will make sure she Googles people in future before she calls them. And strangely, for the first time in my 12 year career, I felt real empathy with the shitey old untargeted pitches that journalists consistently moan about receiving from my industry. So maybe it is karma 😉
Rant over. And yes, I am aware I will probably NEVER get a headhunter offer again…..thank f@@@ for social networks then eh!
The best headhunter calls are those were a researcher that is new to the agency world has culled names from press releases. “I’ve got a fantastic account exec position with great opportunities at PR company X, working on brands Y, Z and W”. I always let them bury themselves and then let them squeal when they worked out they’ve screwed up I’m afraid.