I personally hate the term “head-hunter” because I feel like it has such a negative connotation. There are certainly some bad recruiters out there that give the rest of us a bad name but working with a good recruiter could definitely give you an added advantage as a candidate. So many companies do not have the time or staff to sift through all of the direct applicants that come through their system.
I think there are some common misconceptions about how a typical recruiter works and how they make money. At PGI we are a 100% contingency based search firm, meaning we do not get paid unless we place someone. AND that person must stay a certain amount of time in order to keep the payment. We have to put our focus on finding the best candidates to meet our clients’ needs at that specific point in time. Our team has decades of experience and a big network of contacts in the industry. We would love to be able to help every single person that comes to us looking for work, but this is just not how our business works. I will add though that we really pride ourselves on giving each candidate we present a lot more personal time and attention than many less-experienced recruiters out there. I’ve also spent a lot of time coaching someone on a resume or interview tips even when I know I cannot present them.
A good recruiter (or head-hunter if they want to be called that – many do!) is worth their weight in gold! Check out this article (click for link)for some more great info!