“Never trust a recruiter.” Most guys get given that advice sometime in high-school, usually from an older dude who did. They’re on the list with company attorneys and used car salesmen. The problem is, we forget that professional recruitment agencies are as bad, or worse, as the Army guys we’ve been warned about.

First of all, they aren’t in the business of getting jobs for candidates. Yeah, you read that right. They are in the business of getting candidates for jobs. A recruiter receives a commission if his candidate is selected for the job. That means they have no vested interest in you or your success. That also means that they will often be limited in the number of candidates they can send for a given position. The company doesn’t want to be any more flooded with applications than it already is. So, by going through the agency you’re only giving yourself another opportunity to be turned down for cushy paycheck.

Second, agencies mean more hoops to jump through. The agency will have its own screening process which may or may not have anything to do with the job you want to get. You could find yourself taking programming or software tests that even a cursory glance at your qualifications should make unnecessary. If the employer requires test scores then they will administer the test. Why would they trust ones given by an agency that profits from them hiring one of its people? These tests will waste your time and only serve to remove you from the list of people being submitted.

Third, you have no way of knowing if your application has been sent. You have to take the word of a recruiter that everything has been properly submitted. When they tell you you’ve been rejected you have no idea why or even if this happened. If you apply yourself then at least you can learn from the experience. An agency robs you of that experience and the opportunity to improve yourself for next time.

Finally, you could lose you unemployment benefits. Some jurisdictions (Washington State for instance) do not consider applications through agencies to be legitimate job search activities. That means they not only could stop paying but could demand their money back. If you could afford to repay those benefits then you wouldn’t need them in the first place, so why risk it?

In the end it’s your life, your future and your job. You want, and need, to be involved in every step of the process. Getting help from a professional might seem like a good idea, but recruiters don’t work for you. All you’ll get from them is an extra chance to be rejected and a bunch of new headaches, acceptance comes from you and your abilities.
Adapted from original article written by philip/wikijob.co.uk (http://www.wikijob.co.uk/forum/general-discussion/never-use-recruitment-...)