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<rant>This posts tells agencies that technical writers are unethical. Either work with agencies or don't, but don't rely on them for leads and then go behind their back to take the job away from them. Regardless of the problems people have experienced, many, many recruiters work hard to farm clients and build a track record of meeting their clients' needs. If you don't like the terms they offer and you can't negotiate your terms, maybe you should think about nurturing your own list of clients and get your own gigs as a "self-represented agent." In any case, don't give the rest of us technical writers a bad name by kicking recruiters to the curb.</rant>
Tom Johnson
Technical Writer
tjohnson -at- starcutter -dot- com
-----Original Message-----
Kenneth Nuckols said,
My take on this whole thread from the positive, negative, and
indifferent experiences others have had working with recruiters is that
it is nice to have a relationship with a recruiting firm at the time you
are not actively seeking a new job or new contract (they keep you
abreast of opportunities in the field) but when it comes time to make a
job change, it seems you're almost always better off kicking the
recruiter to the curb and approaching companies as an self-represented
independent agent. This benefits you by negotiating the most money for
your pocket directly with the employer. It also benefits the employer by
avoiding interviews with every unsuitable candidate the recruiter trots
out to them because they don't understand the needs of the company, the
requirements of the position, and the qualifications of the candidates.
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