[danielhodgins]

Actually, if the recruiter does their job well, you'll contact them every time you are considering a career change (perhaps every 5 or 10 years) because you'd be a fool not to. This 'cradle to grave' business model results in the highest lifetime value per candidate for the recruiter.

Some recruiters do actually have your best interests at heart and work hard to find you the right role. Why else would you go back to them in the future or refer your smartest friends?

It's a good sign if a recruiter refers you to a competitor or is 100% honest that they don't think they'll have a position for you in the near future. Any recruiter who operates with a shred of integrity will be glad to do either.