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SW Engineers - Picking the RIGHT Recruiter
Over here in the land of Technology Recruitment, recruiters can get a pretty bad rap. In fact, if you've been in the business for some time, you've no doubt run into many of those who won't even CONSIDER working with a Tech Recruiter (and probably for a very good reason!).
But when all is said and done, if you land some time with an exceptional recruiter, they can do some amazing things for your career. Coming from someone who's placed over 100 engineers since 2014, there are definitely ways to 'weed out' recruiters who may be bad for your health (and wallet):
1 ) Don't work with a recruiter who 'hides' his client list
Ever receive a message from a recruiter who excessively brags about how great his clients/jobs are, yet never even mentions who them? It's irritating and it's old fashioned. Back in the day, recruiters were extremely paranoid about other recruiters stealing their clients--Or even worse, having a candidate apply to that job behind their back. But today we live in a transparent world where information is a millisecond away. You should know at first glance, what companies a recruiter can get you in with. If not, find another.
2 ) Don't work with recruiters who concentrate on older technologies
PHP was an awesome thing 3-4 years ago. But times have changed. Recruiters who are worth their salt, only take on the most exciting, most bleeding edge roles. In fact, a great recruiter will get his candidate excited with all the cool technologies / problems that their clients are solving. If your tech recruiter is still focusing on filling roles that seem like they were created back in 2012, then he/she probably is hurting for clients. And that, is not the sign of a recruiter who is worth your time.
3 ) Work only with recruiters who send you relevant jobs
If you're an iOS Engineer, and a recruiter is sending you a Product Management role, drop them. If they don't have the time to look at your Linkedin page for 5 seconds, they probably don't have the wherewithal to guide you all the way to an offer.
4 ) Work with recruiters who concentrate on 1-2 locations AND 1-2 niches
Don't work with a Jack of All Trades, Master on None. Work with someone who concentrates on 1 or MAYBE 2 (max) locations. They should also be strictly working with Software Engineers. If they are also working on Sales Jobs, Marketing Roles, etc, then you're most likely wasting your time. Find someone who's specialized.
5 ) Only work with a recruiter who respects you and communicates with you effectively
Communication is something not to be overlooked. The best recruiters have an innate sense as for the best times / methods to communicate with candidates. A phone call at 9am on a Monday is not an innate sense. Great recruiters can put together e-mails that grab you, while still being respectful. Great recruiters make strategically placed phone calls at certain times--usually right after work, when you have a few minutes. They'll also ask you the best way to contact you. My best recruiter/candidate relationships have been conducted over text message. It's easy, quick, and non-intrusive. But only if the recruiter asks for permission. A great recruiter will respect your time, and know their boundaries, while still being persistent.
Lastly, don't totally give up working with recruiters, even if you've been burnt. Obviously from my standpoint I'm a little biased--however, when all is said and done, and an offer is signed with an awesome company, candidates will then acknowledge that using a recruiter to broker their job search was totally worth it. We're no different from brokers in any other industry; find the right one, and you'll always go back to that person when you're in need. Happy hunting!