[erikpukinskis]

My sense of every recruiter I've interacted with is that they have made a few deals with specific companies and they are just trying to sell me on them. Like a travel agent who only sells trips to a handful of specific resorts.

[barleymash]

Well, that is literally exactly what is happening. Recruiters generally don't contact you about a position/company unless they have a requisition (request from the company to fill an open position) with that company, which also requires a Master Services Agreement (general contract that allows the agency to work with the client company). A much smaller percentage of good recruiters will sometimes find a great candidate, and "market" that candidate to companies that they do not currently work with, as a way to get their foot in the door. But when they do that, hopefully they are up front about it, and not lead you to believe they have an actual MSA and open req with that company yet.

[user5994461]

Yep. That's exactly what I've noticed.

1) A recruiter will do everything to place you at one of his [very few] positions. No matter how bad it is for you.

2) Recruiters inside a firms are competing internally against each other and they each have different portfolios.

Better have the right recruiter who's got the right companies in the right industries for you.