Recruiters can be a valuable member of your job-seeking team, if you know how to find the quality professionals out there. Like with any service industry, there are bunches and bunches of subpar individuals - these you should try to avoid.

Great recruiters can help you negotiation salary, point you in the right direction for career growth, show you where to find certification resources online, know how to get directly to the hiring manager for client companies and more.

Choose the recruiter information in which you are interested below. And then be sure to read the essay on how to quality a great recruiter as well below.

While it certainly is possible to locate the job of your dreams with no outside assistance, sometimes using a high-quality recruiter can greatly decrease the time spent from "looking" to "hired." Great recruiters can often

• Cut through the chase with HR
• Match your skillset and personality to jobs available
• Provide you with relocation and salary information
• Present you with a list of happy customers and much more.

Note that defining word up there, though. "High-quality." "Great." In other words, recruiters who follow up on their promises, recruiters who actively listen to your goals and dreams, recruiters who deliver. Give or take a few hundred, there are probably a bazillion recruiters out there. You want to ensure you choose the best! You know that recruiters interview you when considering taking you on...have you ever considered reversing that position and *interviewing them* before agreeing to be represented?

QUALIFYING A RECRUITER

The next time you consider a recruiter, be sure to ask him or her the following.

1.) Why should I use your services? Quality recruiters will point to specific customer-service aspects such as:

* Industry knowledge. Good recruiters know what the current hot skill set are, where the industry is going, when companies are going to layoff workers and the like.

* Company knowledge. Good recruiters can tell you the inside scoop on their client companies. For example, AT&T has at its core philosophy The Common Bond; recruiters should be able to tell you not only what drives a company but also the specific personalities of the departments in question.

* Followup. Good recruiters will always follow up on your interviews, positive or negative. They will also be available during your career stay to answer any questions that might arise. In other words, they will seek to create a long term mutually-beneficial relationship with you.

* Career guidance. Good recruiters will listen to both your needs and your wants, and answer honestly whether their particular job openings might be a match for your skills *and* career goals. They might provide you with advice regarding improving your salary via certification ( a great link for that is certification.about.com ) or dealing with annoying co-workers (a good article about this is at www.itstime.com/jul2000.htm). In all cases, they consider *your needs* before *their compensation*.

2.) What are your goals for me? The answer shouldn't be, Find you a job that meets your skills! It should be Find you a job that meets your skills AND career goals as well! Remember, this is *your* career about which we're speaking; if you choose a job solely because of the skills-matching, you might end up quitting because it was never determined that your long-term goals such as continued education, decreased stress, short telecommute etc. would be met as well.

3.) Might I see your job seeker's testimonials? Good recruiters should be able to point you in the direction of other satisified job seekers. Quality spreads its own reputation; if you know that other professionals have been thrilled by the treatment received, you'll be one step closer to knowing you've uncovered a recruiter that you'll want to use.

4.) What are the rates for a particular job? Good recruiters know that professionals are well-aware of what they should be earning (one only has to look at the Resources For Computer Consultants at www.realrates.com ). They might provide you with a range depending upon experience, but should never use your answer to "how much are you earning now" as a baseline on how to pay you in the future. The above are only a few techniques you can use when qualifying recruiters - be sure to take advantage of them as well.