When I worked as a temp, I registered with many different agencies. Some were small and not widely known, while others were large national and international companies like Adecco. In their newsletter, "Get the Most Out of Your Recruiter Relationship," Adecco gives advice that I think is extremely useful in today's competitive job market.

Like Tom Ruff, of the Tom Ruff Company, Adecco believes job seekers should research potential recruiters and shop around for a good fit. Because competition for jobs is so fierce and candidates are likely to change jobs often throughout their careers, Adecco, like Ruff, suggests having a list of questions for the recruiter to answer.

Top ten questionsto ask a recruiter:

1. How long have you been recruiting?
2. Now that you know a little more about
me, is there a specific job you have in mind for me?
3. What kinds of hiring trends are you currently seeing in my field?
4. Do you help candidates prepare for interviews?
5. After today, when can I expect to hear from you again?
6. On average, how quickly do those candidates you work with find a new position?
7. How many candidates are you usually working with at any one time?
8. Are there any companies you do not work with that could still be a good fit for me?
9. What are some of the things your best candidates do to find new positions?
10. How long have you worked with some of your client companies?

Once the right recruiter has been found, Adecco again concurs with Ruff that the recruiter's advice should be followed. It's a recruiter's job to find a candidate a job, so she's not likely to give bad advice deliberately. One way to facilitate the recruiter's efforts is to follow Adecco's "Top Five Dos and Don'ts When Working With a Recruiter:"

Do:

• Research to identify the right recruiter
• Work to establish a relationship
• Act professionally from day one
• Provide feedback from interviews quickly
• Ask smart questions about the position,
the company, the industry

Don't:

• Come unprepared
• Lie about experience or skills
• Show up late, or not at all
• Ignore the recruiter's advice
• Rely solely on a recruiter for career success

Searching for a job is a job in itself, so enlisting the aid of a professional recruiter isn't a bad idea, especially since the services of agencies like Adecco are free to job seekers. I know first hand that following a recruiter's advice can not only help in terms of landing a job, but it can also convey to the recruiter that he's working with someone who means business. Candidates who give their best get the best in return from their recruiters (generally speaking). Heed the advice of recruiting professionals like Adecco and Tom Ruff and see where it leads. It may not help (doubtful), but it certainly isn't going to do any harm.