Questions headhunters typically ask over the telephone include: title, key responsibilities, successes, length of time with present company, and compensation. You can “ball park” the latter if you prefer. He may go back a position or two and briefly cover some of this ground.

The conversation may run 5, 10, or more minutes. It can also take 60 seconds. If the recruiter knows of you as a real factor in a field in which he is now searching, he may not even screen you. He’ll bait his hook and describe the assignment. If you nibble, he’ll suggest meeting. This can also happen when the client gives the headhunter a short list of 10 to 20 people whom they would like. You’re one and you bite.

There is no great mystery to the talk between the two parties: the headhunter and you. Keep your rational, business hat on. It’s the stuffy or inflated presentation of your credentials and self-worth that dissuades a recruiter. It’s often the most senior executives who are the most gentlemanly, straightforward and unpretentious.

Some recruiters develop an abridged resume during the initial telephone chat, as opposed to a few notes. Their clients may want to see the backgrounds of potential candidates in writing before they green light personal interviews. The headhunter may therefore tell you who the client is since your name may be presented. He may also mail you a position description and an annual report. This method is used extensively with out-of-town executives. If the recruiter is based in New York and develops candidates in Chicago, Los Angeles, or Houston, he’ll also spend more time on the telephone exploring backgrounds prior to arranging personal interviews.

If the headhunter isn’t sure you’re right for his situation or if you live far away, he may ask you to send him a resume in order to better evaluate you. It’s a reasonable request, if you have one, because it saves time on the telephone. Assuming you don’t, tell him and suggest (what he’d probably do anyway) that you’re willing to spend additional time on the telephone with him outlining your background. If he insists on a resume, he’s probably not too interested in you. Your appetite for the job in question should determine your willingness to comply.