E. Ann Scott (WCAS69, GSESP71)

E. Ann Scott (WCAS69, GSESP71) graduated from Northwestern primed for a career as a math teacher, but after a few years in a high school classroom, she realized that the job wasn’t right for her. Drawn to the faster-paced corporate world, she took up headhunting until, by chance, she accepted a few individual consulting clients, thus unintentionally launching her career as an executive agent.
 
The job — a fairly new concept, even to veterans of the corporate world, Scott explains — is a perfect fit because it combines the roles of headhunter and teacher. She counsels senior-level job seekers individually, helping them assess and package their skills to carefully targeted companies.

The tasks of a headhunter and an executive agent are closely linked, but Scott points out that the more positive outlook of the latter position is a key difference: “[As a headhunter] I screened out about 96 percent of all candidates. Now I am focusing on helping individuals get screened in.”

Her 25-year career as a headhunter did help her develop a keen sense of what companies seek in their potential employees. “With my help and direction,” she says, “clients learn to present themselves as the best match for the company.” In the end, emphasizes Scott, “I help shorten the job search.”

Scott stresses that one of her most important tasks is narrowing down a client’s list of possible employers. “Most job seekers do not focus on the companies where their experience and passion are most valued and therefore where they will contribute most to the prospective company’s bottom line,” she explains; she helps her clients find those companies.

Her training and experience as a teacher have been invaluable in making her a successful executive agent. “In both jobs,” she says, “you have to counsel and motivate people.” And because the job satisfies both the teacher and the corporate businesswoman in her, she enjoys the work immensely.

Acknowledging the difficult job market many NU students and alumni — from entry-level workers to corporate executives — face today, she maintains that how you present your skills and experiences is of prime importance. “It is imperative to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate how you can add value to the bottom line of a prospective employer.”

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Posted May 10, 2009.