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Recruiters. &lt;p&gt;Is it worth working through them? And more importantly, can you trust them? Unethical recruiters may misrepresent you and send your resume to every company under the sun. On the other hand, when you work with reputable search firms, they can play an effective role in getting you in the door (fast), through the process, and to an offer that not even your manager friend within the firm may be able to do. They know who makes the decisions and how to deal with HR. And they can negotiate around awkward situations you wouldn&#39;t want to handle directly yourself, like the two-month stint with the startup that didn&#39;t or the five months traveling after that last downsizing. &lt;p&gt;Ultimately, the decision to work through an agency is both personal and practical. Maybe you&#39;re not comfortable negotiating offers, or maybe you don&#39;t have a solid lead into that hot company and want to be more proactive than just submitting your resume online. Whatever your reasons may be, there are several factors to consider when choosing and working with a recruiter.&lt;p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Limit the number of agencies you work with.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt; If you&#39;re using more than one, keep track of which agency is working with which company. Generally, a search firm should tell you who their clients are (with regards to your opportunities) and where they are sending your resume. Some legitimately can&#39;t say, but they should at least give you a description of the firm and assure you that they will not send your resume elsewhere without your permission. &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Commit.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt; In other words, once you decide to interview with an agency, accept the fact that this is a relationship. That means being honest about your present situation, job history, goals, and salary. Don&#39;t hold back pertinent information. Be specific about your salary. Recruiters are required to give your salary breakdown (that means base plus bonus - not generalities like your total compensation and perks). If you feel under compensated, then say so. If you are worried that your current salary may price you out of the market, say so as well. A recruiter can smooth over these issues; he simply needs all the information. &lt;p&gt;~Another important note is to extend this policy to your application. Many employers won&#39;t verify your salary until after they have already extended an offer. If you have misrepresented yourself, then that would be grounds for rescinding an offer, even after you may already have given notice or even started that new job!&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Contingency vs. retained.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt;  Don&#39;t prejudge a recruiter based on whether she is contingency or retained.  For every positive or negative remark about contingency firms, the same can be said for retained firms. Base your choice on the individual and her credibility. How do you do that? Consider the following:&lt;p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Use and trust your judgment.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Do you feel comfortable with this recruiter? The consulting hiring process can be quite lengthy, so you will be spending a lot of quality phone time with him. Good communications with this person are essential to keep the process moving along and to get an offer you can accept.&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Are they reputable?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt; What kind of questions do they ask? There are two groupings of questions that all recruiters should ask. One consists of the general qualifying types. For example, how much are you willing to travel, can you relocate, why are you in the job market (or what would motivate you to leave)? &lt;p&gt;A recruiter with real knowledge of her client and industry will then ask more specific questions. For example, questions involving your current project (and role within it) should include references to specific skills. If you worked on an ERP implementation, was your role functional or technical? If technical, there could be questions regarding the package. If you are a strategy consultant, what industry areas have you covered, how long were your engagements and what role did you play in them? For the more senior level consultant, questions about management responsibilities and business development are essential. &lt;p&gt;Other key issues a recruiter should be interested in include your motivations. Maybe the recruiter doesn&#39;t have a match for you now, but if she understands the kind of opportunity you want now or want in one year, then she could contact you later with that dream job. &lt;p&gt;~The bottom line is: &lt;i&gt;is the recruiter asking appropriate questions?&lt;/i&gt; If you are a senior manager with a Big 5 firm&#39;s IT Strategy practice and a recruiter asks &quot;do you know Java&quot; or &quot;how much have you implemented Ariba&quot; then you probably want to look elsewhere for representation. Again, use your judgment.&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Referrals.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Have any of your friends or coworkers ever worked with this agency or recruiter? Their experiences can guide you as to whether or not you should work with them.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;li&gt;Getting Recruited.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/b&gt; You probably get these calls often. An unknown recruiter calls you out of the blue. Yes, it&#39;s a cold call and yes, he may have no idea what you really do. You may not be interested and maybe you&#39;re even annoyed, but try to contain yourself. This recruiter may be able to help you in three months. Or he may become the hiring manager for the next position you want. If he presents himself professionally, do likewise.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;Ultimately, working with search firms can be an extremely productive experience. As with anything, good communication is essential.  Find an upfront recruiter and be upfront yourself. Let her know what your parameters are. Return calls promptly. Don&#39;t hide your expectations. If you communicate your goals well, then a good search firm will be able to save you time, match you up with some great companies, and yes, maybe even get you the position you&#39;ve always wanted.&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Ingrid Ramos is a Sr. Recruiter with the Hedlund Corporation, an executive search firm specializing in the management consulting industry.  Based in Chicago, she conducts searches nationally and across most practice areas. Her e-mail address is iramos@hedlundcorp.com.&lt;/i&gt;

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