Working with IT Recruiters
In general, it's best to work with several recruiters, as each recruiter works with specific companies, and you want access to the broadest range of options. Be sure to keep tabs on where your CV is being submitted. That's important for you, the recruiter and the companies interested in what you've got to offer. If your CV arrives at a company from two different recruiters, that may disqualify you straight off. The reason? The company isn't going to want to get into a battle with the recruiters over who represents you, says Karoline Hough, assistant branch manager at the St. Louis office of IT staffing firm Bradford & Galt.
What if a recruiter asks for an "exclusive"?
If you're a hot candidate with skills in serious demand, a recruiter may ask for an "exclusive." That means the recruiter would represent you for a period of time -- a week, let's say -- with the understanding that you wouldn't be working with other recruiters during that period. "If you want to be a recruiter's top priority, give them an exclusive," says Hough. "In this market, where the demand far outweighs the supply, a two-week exclusive is probably enough."
