An active headhunter with experience at a major Japanese bank and a foreign company tells us what it takes to be a businessman.

In my 23 years as a headhunter to date, I have met a total of more than 5,000 candidates.
I would like to share with you some of the images that I have had of businessmen in my business experience so far.
I can’t say that they are 100% correct, but I would be happy if you could use them as a reference.

i. Pens as personal belongings

Businessmen seem to be particular about their pens. They usually do not seem to use pens that are left on the spot. On one occasion, more than 20 companies came together in London for a signing ceremony of a major contract. At that time, everyone was signing with their own, individual favorite pen. Yes, that’s right! Maybe the pen is one of the things that represents you.
I felt that the pen is not just a writing instrument, but perhaps a jewel that expresses itself, that writes, preserves and conveys memories for a lifetime. From my research, I was told that S.T.-Dupont writing instruments are crafted by artisans on a metal base for maximum durability, and that they undergo more than 150 processes. I like such DuPont and Caran d’Ache pens.

ii. watches as possessions

I used to have regular lunch meetings with the Swiss National Bank (SNB). As is typical of Switzerland, the conversation always starts with “You have a nice watch” to each other. He is not referring to the price, but to the content. So, still being Swiss, he said Rolex and Patek are good (laughs).
On another occasion, I had a conversation with the president of a company in Japan, and to my surprise, he was wearing the same watch as me. It was an extremely rare model, made by a manufacturer that started with a V. He even liked me for wearing the same thing.
Now this is also a fond memory.

iii. the shirt as a possession

For me, the shirt is positioned like underwear. I remember that many of the shirts worn by European businessmen did not have breast pockets. I thought this was the European standard.  It looked good so I stick to shirts without breast pockets since then.

Interview tips

I have some advice for candidates on interview tips.

In an interview, the first 10 seconds count.
Knock, enter the room, say hello and shake hands. Be confident in your ability to converse with the person you are talking to.
In the interview room, you need to be aware that you are being watched, even if no one is in the room. Do not walk around or touch anything that has been placed on the floor.

Remember, just like you, the interviewer is nervous as well. It is rather effective to help the interviewer relax with your smile.
A thank-you letter after the interview is not necessary. Some candidates have failed because of poor English or writing style in the thank-you letter that made a bad impression.
Resumes in particular should be simple! Two A4 pages is the maximum, even if it is long. Any more than that is too much and the other side will not be interested in reading it. Resumes are written for the viewer, so it is important to put yourself in their shoes. It is not something you yourself want to write about.

What does a headhunter do?

Our job as headhunters is to propose the best organization for our clients and arrange the composition of the team to achieve this – it would be perfect if we could introduce the team from MD to associate.
Hopefully, we are always aware of our clients’ concerns and problems, and are able to make suggestions on human capital matters. In other words, we are a good partner for our clients, who understand their business and organization and can give them advice.

I myself always want to be the best partner possible with these things in mind, and that is the goal I strive for every day.
If you are interested in this story, please contact me.

Nobuo Imamura Imamura_n@ewc.co.jp