There’s a saying in the employment industry: Agencies and recruiters do not find jobs for people, they find people for jobs. In other words, with very few exceptions, they don’t work for you, they work for the employer. Since people in this business are normally paid on a commission basis, it is a volume industry that usually has a rapid turnover of clients.

Since your chances of finding a job through an agency or a recruiter are remote (the best estimates are only 10%), don’t invest a disproportionate amount of your time and resources in this area. If you learn of a job that interests you though an agency, or if you hear of a recruiter who may have some good leads, by all means look into it, but keep the main focus of your job search on networking your contacts and calling / following-up with prospective employers. These techniques are far more likely to provide success in your job search.

~ Anne Follis, CPRW

The best resource for finding an executive recruiter is the Directory of Executive Recruiters by Kennedy Publications. It’s bright red in color, retails at about $50, and can be purchased online or at your favorite bookstore. It has every recruiting firm in the U.S. and is cross-referenced by specialty and location. It is updated annually.

Websites that might help you locate a recruiter are BrilliantPeople.com, ExecutiveAgent.com (executive recruiters by field and location), heidrick.com (retained recruiters, $150,000+), and recruitersonline.com. You can also checkout the Website of the Directory of Executive Recruiters book: executiveagent.com.

~ Anne Follis, CPRW

There are athousands of recruiters nationwide, also known as executive search firms and “headhunters.” Many of them specialize in placing professionals in mid-to upper-level positions, which means that blue-collar and clerical workers, as well as new grads, are likely to be wasting their time when approaching these firms. In addition, if you’re changing careers (say you’ve been in manufacturing and you’d like to get into public relations), it’s not likely you would be a good candidate for this kind of service because recruiters are looking for people who are accomplished in a specific field. Remember, most recruiters are paid on a commission basis, so the emphasis is on volume. For the most part they’re looking for applicants they can place quickly and with relative ease.

Executive search firms are paid by the employer and fall under two categories. About 20 percent are “retained” firms, which conduct personnel searches for companies and are paid whether they place a candidate with the employer or not. The rest are “contingency” firms, and they’re paid only when they send a client to an employer who is subsequently hired.

Like many employers, executive search firms get hundreds of resumes every week that they cannot use, and the initial screening can be very quick and cursory. If you appraoch them, do so as you would a prospective employer. Make sure your resume and cover letter are polished and professional, and if you get an interview with a recruiter, dress the part and be prepared.

~ Anne Follis, CPRW