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Dear Junior,
Great question, thank you for asking it.
A headhunter who will only give you his first name and nothing else is either a) a dolt (why miss on the opportunity to meet someone new and have them remember you or b) not a headhunter. Could be any number of people checking to see how loyal you are to your current employer. Although I can think of quite a few better ways (reference the recent post in Inspiration on The Human Moment). In this case, it would be The Humane Moment as well.
The Creative Director from Bozell Worldwide? Now that's an interview I would have gone on. (Not sure whether you did.) But FIRST I would say "I have just started getting comfortable with the agency I am currently at, and I think my portfolio needs a bit of beefing up before I start looking." and then I would have given him the opportunity to still meet me or decline at this time.
Interview day at the very beginning of the meeting I would say it again, "Thank you for calling me, I'm pleased to meet you, but I just want to re-state that I've just gotten settled in to where I am, and my book needs some work."
Creative Directors have a LOT of conversations and if even a couple of days have passed since the call, it will help him if you refresh his memory as to the context of the meeting you're about to have.
Yes, medals are always good, but meeting people is gooder. (Yes gooder is a word.)
Of course you stuttered! Doesn't everyone the first time they get a call from a headhunter? And thank you for admitting it, you've just helped a lot of people who think they're the only one.
What you should do the next time is yes, ask them the company, ask them their last name, ask them for their phone # (you can say it's just in case you get interrupted and you have to call them back) and if they won't give you any of that information, just politely decline to continue the conversation.
Like I said if they're a dolt, do you want to talk to them anyway?
What you should also do the next time and BEFORE the next time, like right now, is write down a quick 2 minute overview of who you are and what you're about right now and where your head is at relative to your career and where you see yourself in the next two - five years.
You got it, this means you have to think it through, write it down, and THEN....you have to practise saying it out loud. Over and over. It feels awkward at first to talk about yourself, but in an interview situation (which is what a call from a headhunter is - a mini-interview - speed dating if you will) it's accepted, and expected.
Hope that helps! You're welcome.
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