Ask HN: How to choose a tech recruiter, as a candidate?

[hazard]

I'm coming to the end of a non-compete and I'm going to start looking for a new position in the next couple of months. I'm planning on using a recruiter as part of my job search, since the industry I'm looking in is rather fragmented.

I get one or two cold emails from tech recruiters on LinkedIn every week, often from different recruiters at the same couple of agencies.

How do I choose a good recruiter? What do you look for as red flags or positive signals?

[softwaredoug]

One conundrum is most companies with mature HR will in-house recruiting. So having your own representation doesn’t help you here, which removes a huge segment of the market.

The hiring manager is the actual buyer in the transaction anyway. The recruiter just gets you in front of the hiring manager. And since the manager can’t juggle inbound from dozens of randos it’s the recruiters job to source people.

In the end the closest you can get to this buyer is through your network or through a different angle entirely: consulting.

[joezydeco]

Do they have a LinkedIn profile? No? Redflag.

Look at their work experience. Have they been in recruiting/consulting for a while, or did they just graduate college with a degree in something unrelated like sports management? Redflag. (That one's a true story)

Is the communication personalized, or is it a cut-and-paste job description from the hiring company? Redflag.

Does the recruiter want to connect with you before even starting a conversation? Redflag.

[chiefalchemist]

Regardless of how you choose them they don't work for you. They work for their client. You're the product, and not an exclusive one. Whether it's you or another candidate, they need to keep their client happy.