A headhunter can help you climb the rungs of the career ladder. Here's how to get the best results.

It often happens when you least expect it. Out of the blue, you receive a call from an executive search firm.  The opportunity seems promising, but you do not know what to expect.

What does the process entail? How long will it take? What will the search firm expect from you? Most important, what are your rights and obligations during the process?

As a potential executive candidate, you are entitled to ask these questions and get answers.

Although contractual obligations exist between the search firm and the client, search consultants have to build professional relationships with candidates, with whom they may remain in contact over a period of years.

The most important elements are the integrity and reputation of the search firm.  Make sure their dealings in client and customer relationships are characterised by honesty, objectivity, accuracy and respect for confidentiality.

When you become an executive search candidate, you risk losing your job if your current employer discovers you are looking for alternatives.  This could be fatal as good jobs are hard to come by now. That is why you are entitled to the highest level of confidentiality from the search firm and its client.

To safeguard your confidentiality, the search consultant should obtain your authorisation before submitting your name and a report on you to his client.  He should contact you directly and not through any intermediaries in your current firm. Neither should he contact your work references without your permission.

He should not talk about your potential candidacy with anyone outside the search firm. The same goes for his client.  You are a search candidate only after the consultant has conducted an initial evaluation of your suitability for the position and you have expressed an interest in it.

If either of these two factors is missing, you cannot be considered a candidate for the position.

In order to make the right decision, you need to ask a few relevant questions: What is the nature and requirement of the position? What is the financial package? Is relocation required? How will you contribute to the business of the client?

Note that while you are still being evaluated as a potential candidate for the position, the search consultant is under no obligation to divulge confidential information about the position or the client.

The completion of an executive search assignment can often take several months. Once you become an active candidate, the search consultant should communicate with you at each step of the process.

He should give you an honest appraisal of your chances. If the client decides not to proceed with your candidacy, the consultant should provide a comprehensive explanation.

The search consultant should not treat you like a commodity for trade. You will know if he respects you when scheduling appointments and interviews.

The search consultant may not have complete control over the client's communication with you during the process.  If changes occur that contradict the information given to you by the consultant, you should ask for a clarification.

Finally, the search consultant should never try to hurry your decision or put undue pressure on you to accept an offer.  However, he should keep you informed of any deadlines imposed by the client and the implications of not keeping to those deadlines.

If, for any reason, you feel that you cannot trust the search consultant or the client, it may be better for you to withdraw from the process.

The search consultant's job is to present several qualified candidates to the client, and it is the client who makes the ultimate decision.  The more you know about the executive search process, the better you can position yourself as an executive search candidate.

Be honest, be realistic

• Under no circumstances should you inflate your resume, misrepresent your work history or "hold some cards back". Also, be genuine about your interest in the position.
• Be savvy. Fit in appointments and interviews without compromising your work schedule, but remember you are not a commodity for trade.
• Educate yourself. Conduct your own due diligence on the search firm and the client organisation, and understand the value of retained executive search consulting.
• Have realistic expectations. Understand that you will be one of several qualified candidates.
• Negotiate in good faith. Do not lead search consultants to believe you are negotiating only with them if you are considering offers from more than one organisation.