Headhunter CV: what changes compared with an in-house recruiter

On the surface, headhunters and in-house recruiters do the same job: find the right person for a role. But an agency and a company don't read a CV the same way. The agency wants to know whether you can sell, manage a client relationship and approach candidates who aren't looking. The company wants to know whether you can fit into an organisation, work with managers over time and improve a process. Whether you are aiming for a search firm, coming from one or moving between the two, here is what should change on your CV, with before/after lines and the vocabulary specific to each world, as practised in France.

Two close jobs, two different logics

| | Headhunter (search firm) | In-house recruiter (company) | |---|---|---| | Client | Client companies that award mandates | The managers in your own company | | Candidates | Mainly employed people, approached directly | Inbound applications, referrals, direct sourcing | | Value created | Mandates won and closed, revenue | Roles filled, quality of hire, process | | Time horizon | The assignment, then the client relationship | The company over time: onboarding, retention, employer brand | | Key skills | Business development, direct approach, assessment, confidentiality | Partnership with managers, process management, tools, data |

These differences explain why an agency consultant's CV sent as-is to a company, or the other way round, often misses what the reader is looking for.

Search firm vocabulary

If you are targeting a search firm, your CV needs to speak the language of the trade:

• Mandate: the assignment given by a client company for a specific role.
• Retained search: the firm is the only one on the assignment, with part of the fee paid upfront in instalments. Common in executive search.
• Contingency search: the firm is paid only if the candidate it presents is hired. Common for mid-level management roles, often in competition with other firms.
• Direct approach: identifying and contacting employed candidates who are not actively looking.
• Researcher: the person who maps the market, identifies targets and makes first contact.
• Mapping: charting companies and people in comparable roles.
• Shortlist: the final selection of assessed candidates, presented to the client with a report.
• Off-limits: the commitment not to approach employees of client companies.
• Replacement guarantee: the contractual commitment to restart the search if the hire leaves within a set period.

Contract practices vary between firms: on your CV, describe what you actually did rather than repeating a textbook model.

The CV for a search firm: show you can sell and headhunt

The metrics expected

A partner at a search firm reads your CV like a sales profile. They look for:

• Number of mandates handled and closed, over what period, at what level.
• Business development: new clients won, repeat mandates, revenue generated if you can share it.
• Positioning: sectors, functions, salary bands of roles handled (in broad ranges, with no confidential data).
• Quality of direct approach: ability to persuade employed candidates and present strong shortlists.

Before: "Recruitment consultant, managed assignments for a range of clients."

After: "Closed 18 mandates in 2025 for CFO and financial controller roles (mid-sized industrial groups and investment funds); won 5 new clients, 3 of which awarded a second mandate within the year."

Before: "Searched for candidates through direct approach."

After: "Mapping and direct approach on 12 sales director assignments: shortlists of 3 to 4 candidates presented in 5 weeks on average."

Confidentiality

A good search firm sells discretion. Don't name clients or placed candidates unless it is public and authorised. Describe them by profile: "listed retail group", "300-person software company", "mid-cap private equity fund". That is also what your future employer expects of you.

Moving from in-house to a search firm

Take a fictional profile: a recruiter with 5 years' experience at an industrial group, targeting a firm specialised in engineering roles. His priority is to translate his experience into search firm skills:

Before: "Recruited engineers for production sites."

After: "Direct approach of methods and maintenance engineers employed at competitors: 11 of the year's 17 hires made with no inbound application. Managed 3 partner agencies (briefing, follow-up, negotiating terms)."

The second sentence is valuable: having managed agencies means you understand the business from the client's side. To showcase your approach technique, the article on Boolean sourcing on your CV offers concrete phrasings.

The CV for an in-house role: show you can build over time

What companies worry about with former headhunters

When a Head of Talent or HR Director receives an agency consultant's CV, they often ask the same questions: will this person work well without a billing target? Follow up with a hire after they start? Handle volume and an ATS? Work with managers who aren't clients? Your CV needs to answer them.

Translating search firm skills

| At a firm, you wrote… | For a company, write instead… | |---|---| | Client portfolio management | Supporting several departments or business units | | Business development | Advising managers, scoping needs, negotiating profiles | | Mandates closed | Roles filled, with timelines and levels | | Direct approach | Proactive sourcing, building talent pools | | Candidate reports for clients | Structured assessments, feedback to managers |

Before: "Business developer and consultant, €1.2M revenue generated."

After: "Advised 25 client executives on defining leadership roles, pay positioning and choosing between profiles; completed 30 senior executive hires over 3 years."

Revenue can stay on your CV if it is easy to read, but it shouldn't be the only metric. Add volume, timelines and role levels. The article on recruiter KPIs for your CV helps you pick the ones that speak to a company.

Highlight what agency profiles often lack

If you had the chance to do it, even occasionally, highlight:

• Post-hire follow-up: check-ins with the candidate and client during the probationary period.
• Process design: scorecards, interview methods, training clients in structured interviewing.
• Tools: the firm's CRM or ATS, reporting.
• Employer branding: pitching client companies, which closely resembles work on an employer value proposition.

Special cases

The researcher

If you were a researcher in executive search, your CV should show rigorous mapping, sector knowledge and the ability to secure a first conversation with executives. It is an excellent springboard to sourcer or talent acquisition partner roles in-house.

"Market mapping for 30 CEO and CFO assignments (industry, B2B services); identified and made first contact with targets, prepared presentation files for partners."

Executive hiring

If you hire executive committee members, say so: the process, confidentiality and stakeholders (board, shareholders) are specific. To understand what these candidates highlight themselves, the article on the HR Director CV gives a sense of expectations at leadership level.

Mistakes to avoid in both directions

• Naming clients or candidates without permission.
• Showing only revenue when applying to a company.
• Staying in in-house vocabulary ("HR partnership", "ATS process") when applying to a firm, without mentioning business development or direct approach.
• Inflating team results: at a firm, mandates are often shared between partner, consultant and researcher. Specify your role.
• Hiding a short stint at a firm: a few months are easier to explain than a gap in your CV.

Get to your CV

Whether you are aiming for a search firm or a company, the pre-filled talent acquisition CV gives you a structured base to adapt to the vocabulary of the target role. You can also build your version in the CV editor. Open the pre-filled Talent Acquisition CV.

Frequently asked questions

Are headhunter and recruitment consultant the same thing?

The terms often overlap. "Headhunter" usually refers to a consultant who works mainly through direct approach, often on senior management or executive roles. "Recruitment consultant" is broader and may include assignments that also rely on job advertising. On your CV, use your exact contractual title and describe your methods.

Should I include revenue generated at a firm?

For another firm, yes if you can share it, since it is a core metric. For a company, keep it secondary and lead with mandates closed, role levels and timelines. Check that no confidentiality clause prevents it.

How do I present confidential clients?

Describe them by sector, size and status: "listed industrial group", "Series B fintech start-up", "international business law firm". The reader grasps the level of demand without you breaching confidentiality.

Can an in-house recruiter become a headhunter?

Yes, especially if they have practised direct approach and have a sector or functional specialism. The point to demonstrate is commercial ease: negotiating with managers, managing agencies, presenting candidates. Experience hiring scarce profiles is a strong argument.

How does an executive search CV differ from a generalist agency CV?

In executive search, the expectation is a focus on leadership roles, strong command of confidentiality and relationships with executives and shareholders. At a generalist agency, assignment volume, responsiveness and business development carry more weight. Adapt your summary and metrics accordingly.