Why knowing recruiters wont help you in your search

Why knowing recruiters wont help you in your search I was recently asked by a prospective client if I knew any recruiters. Well, I do maintain strong relationships with recruiters in various fields, but  there seemed to be a disconnect in the question. You see, finding a recruiter is only part of the effort youll need to undertake in order to be successful. Recruiters find  candidates, not jobs. Let me repeat that again a recruiter will NOT set out to find you a  job. Recruiters are in the business of locating desirable candidates  to  fill requests by  the client companies that pay their fees. Therefore, they will have little reason to scour the corporate world to find new job openings for you, but they may be interested in your qualifications. The key word here is may. If you offer a straightforward career trajectory with a wealth of industry experience, you may well be a sought-after candidate by recruiters. However, if you plan to change careers, your work history is spotty, or you are currently unemployed, you may find that recruiters are not able to convince their clients of your value. What does this mean for your search? Youll need to spend time finding the right audience for your resume, rather than just shooting off a mass email to thousands of recruiters (or  finding someone who knows a recruiter!). And above all, remember to use the same level of professional courtesy that youd deliver in the context of an interview. Recruiters are dealing with intensities of the job market just as you are, and will remember their interactions with you.