Working with Recruiters vs "Job Finders"

Today I received an email from an executive job seeker who wrote:

I thought you might have some insight relating to the use of an executive head hunter service (for placements of positions paying $150k+). What to look for when one of these companies are representing you. What to watch out for and how to avoid getting ripped off by a shoddy service (excessive fees to me, the job hunter, etc.).

This gave me a great opportunity to distinguish between headhunters and so-called Job Finder firms.

Headhunters

A headhunter (also known as a search firm or recruiter) works for companies who want to fill positions. He or she is paid for finding the right candidate. Payment arrangements differ, but in all cases the job seeker is never the one footing the bill.

Of course this means that recruiters do not represent you, the job seeker. They represent the people who are paying them. Therefore you should not expect them to do any work on your behalf other than possibly submitting your resume for suitable vacancies. If you plan to utilize headhunters during your job search, you should research them using a tool like Executiveagent.com - you can look for recruiters by region or by specialty. (This is very important - most recruiters specialize in either an industry or a function and they don't appreciate receiving resumes from people in a totally different field).

Once you have the list, you should contact as many as you can as this will increase the likelihood that one of them will be looking for someone just like you.

Now for "Job Finder Firms"

These people are out to take your money and they will call themselves whatever it takes to achieve that goal (executive placement, career management etc. etc.).

They will generally claim to have systems and proprietary techniques that will help you find a job. They will often tell you that they have access to 'the hidden job market.'  They will make a smooth sales pitch and it may feel as though you have found a solution to your problems.

But you haven't. Because there is no hidden job market. They have no special knowledge or techniques. They do have some databases, but the web puts the same information at your finger tips. 

These services typically charge between $5,000 and $15,000 for their services. I'd like to link to a few of them, but I can't because they keep closing down, changing their names and moving to new states. Hmmmm ....I wonder why that might be!

The Bottom Line

None of these companies have the answer and none of them can take away the hard work of looking for a new job. You can purchase much higher quality services for far less money if you approach  a professional resume writer for a rewrite (executives should expect to spend between $500 and $1,000 for this service) and, if necessary, work occasionally with a job search coach who can help guide your activities and keep you on track (reasonable fees for this service would be $100-$200 per hour).

But beware anyone who promises to 'represent' you in the job market, or who wants you to pay thousands of dollars for a suite of services. 

For more information, check out this post from Ask the Headhunter or read the complaints on this site.