The problem with agencies and search firms, however (with apologies to my friends in the business), is that they are virtually useless when it comes to helping people who are seeking to take charge of their careers, either by making a major advancement in their current field or by moving to another field entirely. Such firms are best used by people seeking to make lateral moves, but who don't have time to actively job hunt. They can also be helpful to young people looking for their first job.
If you're going to involve agencies and search firms in your career moves, it's best to have a realistic picture of how they work and how to use them to your advantage.
Throughout this, you must remember that their loyalty is to the corporation (the employer), not to the job seeker. No fees are paid until the corporation hires.
And nowadays, it's frequently the corporation that pays for the service. For agencies and search firms to keep their corporate customers satisfied, they must provide the people with the "right" backgrounds. So let's talk first about employment agencies: Employment agencies will typically scour the market for job openings or learn of openings from regular corporate clients, then advertise those positions. (It is illegal for them to advertise a position that does not exist.)
From the responses they receive, along with the unsolicited resumes that deluge their offices, they will try to find those people whose background and experience most closely match the job description. After signing a contract, these people are sent to employers for interviews. If hired, the individual is obligated to pay the agency fee if the employer does not.
As you can well imagine, if you are not willing to provide a complete, detailed work history, an employment agency is a waste of your time. Some agencies may urge you to work exclusively with them. I would suggest you not do so, but rather register with several. The more professional firms will recommend this. On the other hand, be selective about those agencies you wish to represent you. Talk to the people there, find out how they work, and get a feel for the rapport you can establish with them.
Then be courteously persistent. Call or visit every day - or twice a day. The people who exude confidence, who keep at it, are the people who'll be looked upon more favorably. After all, they'll be easier for the agency to "sell" to a potential employer.
Executive recruiters and search firms operate quite differently than employment agencies. They wall not, as a rule, deal with people who come to them looking for work. Like employment agencies, however, they are not paid unless the company hires someone they have referred.
Most recruiters work by establishing personal contacts with the companies they represent and working with those companies to find people who fit their needs. Again, they're more likely to be interested in matching experience and background to job descriptions than in helping someone make a career change.
They will also try to find the right people by advertising as well as networking. A common approach in networking is for a recruiter to call someone who currently holds a position similar to the one he's trying to fill and ask if that person knows of anyone who might be interested. (Of course, he's really asking if that person is interested.)
Eventually, the recruiter will wind up with a list of highly qualified prospects for the employer, who has been spared the trouble of advertising the position and being deluged with resumes.
It's difficult - perhaps impossible - to use recruiters to your advantage. However, recruiters have loads of contacts in all sorts of businesses, and I suggest you could potentially use a recruiter as a center of influence. You might request a meeting to introduce yourself and provide a broader understanding of your abilities and career goals. Frankly, though, I'd be surprised if many of them agreed to it. Their paycheck comes from the company, not the job seeker, and they know it.
The bottom line, of course, is that agencies and recruiters will never sell you to decision makers as hard as you'd sell yourself. Nor will they help you make a radical career change. For that sort of move, there's only one person who can help you. To find him or her, just look in the mirror.
