Question:
I was reading a book about finding jobs which had a chapter on
job search firms. The author made a distinction between "retainer
firms" and "contingency firms," the first being reputable and the
latter being something to avoid. The author said that the way to
find the most reputable retainer firms was to look at the annual
ranking in the EXECUTIVE RECRUITER NEWS.
Unfortunately, public libraries in CA do not carry this publication.
Does anyone know another way to find reputable retainer firms?
Answer:
You can find an extensive listing of reputable retainer-based
executive recruting firms in the back of John Lucht's book,
Rites of Passage at $100,000+. Much of the book is about
difficulties in dealing with these people, though. Do not
assume that they are working for you, the candidate, nor
that they would show you even half the jobs that they know
about, nor that they are looking for jobs that match your
skills, nor that they really want you to get a job that they
send you to interview for, nor that they are helping you
get the best salary. At any given moment they are trying
to fill a specific job -- under multiple legal, ethical,
and less-ethical constraints -- in a way that will keep
the employer coming back with more business.
Contingency-based recruiters, or those who switch hit, can
be even worse -- but they are appropriate for people new to
an industry or perhaps new to an area, and especially for
entry-level jobs. They also work reasonably well for
computer-related or technical jobs, if you can find recruiters
who won't shotgun your resume.
