This year marks 10 years of full-time experience for me. If I include my part-time work through college and internships then I have 14 years of software engineering experience behind my belt. I worked for 7 companies. Three of them were startups, one of which I founded and another was a director at. The others were fortune 500 financial and technology firms.
One time that I did deal with a recruiter was to get a contract gig at a major bank -- but even in that case the hiring manager could've hired me directly if he could but his superiors made me work with a body shop. In other words, in that case the recruiter simply leeched my earnings off of me for no reason, no value added whatsoever.
When I did work with recruiters as a candidate without exception they all failed to understand my value proposition -- because they themselves are completely cluless and lack any experience in technology to pass appropriate judgements. I was sent to interviews that weren't fit to my goals or experience. Some jobs I was sent to interviews weren't even funded!
Every time I had to change jobs I was referred to a position by a friend already at the firm, or I knew the hiring manager. I expect that in the next 10 years of my career this pattern will remain and most likely my next job will not be found through a recruiter.
As a rule I presented more value to the recruiter than they did to me and they typically failed to realize it. I have a value proposition and a skill set that is typically recognized by internal hiring managers directly. This is not to say that I don't see the value in recruiters. I referred some of my friends to recruiters with limited success. I had productive conversations with recruiters and it helped me figure out the direction of my career. But I, personally, never got a job through a recruiter.
So, what would I like to see in a recruiter if I ever were to work with one ?
Well, first, stop talking like used car salesmen or telemarketers. Unblock your caller ID and stop leaving the same exact message on my cell phone. Do not call me at the office via our switch board. A special message for a guy named Steve who keeps leaving me messages -- when I told you to call me at 10am next morning you shouldn't have missed that, and please stop filling up my voicemail. Learn to respect my time and stop treating me like a used Toyota with a bad gas pedal. That would be a start.
Second, once we are past you talking like a used car salesmen tell me why I should work with you specifically. What have you done in the past that makes you qualified to identify good opportunities for me ? Recruiters are dime a dozen and I observed them jump headhunting firms like hopscotch. So why you specifically ?
Third, don't expect me to send my resume to you because I know you will spam everyone and their mother on Wall Street with it so I don't go getting a job on my own. Not gonna happen.
Fourth, describe to me specific positions beyond a 5-liner from the company HR. Try to understand my current job and explain to me why is that opportunity a good move.
Fifth, most of you aren't qualified at all to discuss my experience with me. Most of you have zero technical skills and the reason you are a recruiter is probably because you failed as a developer. So the vast majority of recruiters can't possibly understand my skill set or experience and I don't see how they can possibly represent my interests to the hiring managers. In my experience I did a pretty decent job representing myself directly to the employers, so what is your value here ?
And finally, I have a pretty good job now. I don't expect to be looking to make a lateral move any time soon. I do a good job at work and my employer treats me well enough to my satisfaction.
I am sure one day I may have to work with a recruiter or two. Meanwhile your best bet is to maintain a dialog with me via LinkedIn. I have a busy life between work and family. I don't have time to return calls from Steves of the world who keep leaving me the same exact message. I don't have time to pick up calls from numbers I don't recognize or "Unavailable" while I am at work. And when I get home I want to spend time with my family.
