Executive Recruiters. Employers pay for the services of executive recruiters. They may be retained at a definite fee to work on an exclusive basis to fill a position. Or, they may work on a nonexclusive, contingency fee basis. (They only get paid if they locate someone that can fill the position.) Recruiters are most successful when they work in specific industries or markets. They understand hiring practices and policies and they generally have complete knowledge about the companies who use their services. As mentioned, executive recruiters often advertise positions that they're trying to fill. But their ads usually provide only the position title and a salary range. If the ads give more information about the position, they generally disguise their client enough so applicants (or other agencies) can't go directly to the company to apply.
Executive recruiters are good sources to contact. They retain resumes on file if the candidates are well qualified and present themselves well. Since they're working for their clients and not for you, you may not get any action from your visits to them. On the other hand, if you fit the needs of one of their clients, they'll work hard to help you get hired.
Executive recruiters are most frequently located in major cities. You can locate them in the Yellow Pages under "Executive Recruiting Consultant," "Technical Search Firms," "Executive Search" or "Executive Search Consultants," or some variation of these headings. Some newspapers also have a section that lists recruiters. And you can often get an idea of the agencies that recruit for your field by reading the help-wanted ads.
For additional information about executive recruiters, you can order the Directory of Executive Recruiters, published annually by Kennedy Publications, Fitzwilliam, NH 03447. Another source of names of executive recruiters: the membership list of the Association of Executive Search Consultants, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10012.
Employment Agencies. Until the mid 1970s, most employment agencies charged applicants a fee to get a job. But since then, most of the agencies have changed to an employer-paid fee. Their ads now say "paid." The primary difference between employment agencies and executive recruiters is in the level of the staff they're recruiting. Employment agencies generally specialize in clerical, administrative, semi-skilled and entry-level positions. However, many agencies have more than one division, with one part of the agency recruiting lower-level employees while another division deals with managerial and professional workers. Some regular employment agencies now include temporary placements, managerial and professional as well as clerical. For this reason, if you need temporary work to tide you over, an employment agency might help. Temporary work has another advantage. It gives you a chance to get inside a company and look around. And you just might find a job there.
Another possible source of work is the temporary employment agency. Many "rent-a-body" firms now exist for the sole purpose of providing temporary, but high-level "consultants" for short, well-paid assignments. You become an employee of the agency, and are paid by them. Many large, medium-sized and small firms who don't need a full-time writer, or a full-time marketing department, or a staff of computer programmers will hire consultants from an agency for the time needed to complete the work. It's a good deal for everyone. The work is never dull, often challenging, and can be very satisfying. And frequently, good people who are hired only for the length of the project are asked to stay on for additional assignments, or are hired outright. The agencies generally make some kind of insurance available to their employees, and while they don't usually have pension plans, they do frequently have 401k plans.
Management Consultants. Some management consulting firms also do limited executive recruiting. However, they almost never advertise the positions they're looking for, since they're generally on a retainer or the recruiting is being done as part of a larger project. Management consultants do specialize in certain kinds of businesses and in certain areas of expertise (accounting, computers, planning, etc.). If you know of a consulting firm working in your area of specialization, you might send them a resume. But you'll only be asked to come in for an interview if they think they could use you themselves or if your resume fits a position for which they are recruiting at that moment.
State Employment Services. When you applied for your unemployment insurance, one of the requirements was that you visit the State Employment Services for an interview and "help." The services seldom have listings for middle- and upper-level managers. But occasionally, they'll be knowledgeable about business in the area and will provide a good lead. Since you have to go there anyway, you might as well try to get some good out of the experience.
Professional Associations. Some professional associations have placement bureaus as a part of their service to members. If you don't know about the associations to which you belong, write or call to see if they offer this service.
College Placement Services and Alumni Associations. Don't overlook the services your college may be able to give you. Call or write to see if it has a placement service available to older graduates. For teachers and school administrators, for instance, the college services are perhaps the best source of job leads. And jobs for people with professional degrees are also frequently listed.
