When Do You Fire a Headhunter?

Captain Sarcastic writes "I have been a contract programmer for a few years (with some time off when a contract-for-hire paid off and made me a full-time employee). Currently, I'm between projects, but I'm a little worried about one of the contracting companies who's helping me. First off, a little history. "Zeke" (not his real name) was with ABC Contractors (not their real name) when I first met him, and he took my resume and started processing me through the jobs that ABC had available. A bit later, Zeke left, and his replacement Yvonne (standard disclaimer) submitted me to a company (call them "Acme") for a contract-for-hire. Everything looked like a good fit, and she E-mailed me a copy of the resume they submitted to Acme. Came the interview, I realized that Zeke had left out part of my history and had mis-dated other aspects, to keep me from appearing unemployed. Like an idiot, I tried to correct this at the interview, to find out that Acme had decided that I had fabricated all of my experience, and chewed out the rep for ABC for sending an unqualified applicant. Fine, learning experience for me — double-check what the contracting company says about you, and don't try to correct things in the middle of the interview." Read below for the rest of the story. What other difficulties have others gone through with headhunters and when is it time to leave one behind? A couple months later, Zeke contacted me from his new position with Blue-Sky Consultants (standard disclaimer), and sent me on a couple of interviews. Once again, I found out he'd "corrected" my resume — the same way he did with ABC. I raised the issue with him, and he apologized and said he'd correct the resume, and he's submitted me for other positions, but none seem to have gotten to the interview stage. I suspect that he's not trying very hard, and I wonder if he's soft-pedaling submissions for me to keep his own bosses from recognizing he'd altered my resume. So, I have the following questions:

1. Am I suspecting malice and/or clumsiness where a competitive market is the true suspect? (An answer of yes would be harder on my ego, but a relief.)
2. Do headhunters modify resumes, and if so, should I just shut up and go with what the headhunter says? (I was always told that eventually, the truth comes out, so I'd be uncomfortable doing that, but life isn't always comfortable.)
3. Should I tell Zeke to get lost and stay that way? (I was always told that making enemies unnecessarily was "considered harmful", but I get the impression that Zeke isn't a friend).
4. Have fellow Slashdotters dealt with similar situations?

Comments

"When do you Fire a HeadHunter?"

[Xeleema]

I follow the three-head rule; if you can't give me three heads shrunken down and stitched up to my QA-Approved Design Specifications, then pack up your grass skirt and nose-bone buddy!

Re:Personally I'd rather you were honest with me

[spun]

In my experience, headhunters are very forthright about their desire to kill people, eat them, and hang their shrunken, stuffed heads from strings around their neck. Obviously, you should fire them if they look overly hungry and there is no one else for them to eat. Or if they catch and eat people other than those you hired them to catch and eat. Employed with care and attention, though, headhunters can bring something to your business that no other employee can: abject terror in those that oppose you.

Re:Personally I'd rather you were honest with me

[bjackson1]

Is that you Dwight?

Jim Halpert: Have you called any headhunters?
Michael Scott: Any good headhunter knows that I am available.
Dwight Schrute: Any really good headhunter will storm your village at sunset with overwhelming force and cut off your head with a ceremonial knife.
Jim Halpert: Right, because that's what we're talking about.

Re:Personally I'd rather you were honest with me

[Anonymous Coward]

Scary thing is that I read it almost to the end before realizing that you are not in fact talking about recruiters...

Re:Headhunter? WTF for?

[Anders]

There are more jobs than people. Call me when there are more people than jobs. That's when I need (and will pay for) a headhunter.

Riiing

Re:run away

[Blakey Rat]

Remeber, it's impossible to solve any problem you have without the law! Hire a lawyer! Did you find that spelling error annoying? Hire a lawyer! Legal action is the only way to solve problems! Actually hashing out issues with other human beings is for chumps!

Re:Personally I'd rather you were honest with me

[masmullin]

Maybe thats why I dont get any second dates.

I thought it was because I brought 21 of my friends along in my Smart car.

Re:Personally I'd rather you were honest with me

[frank_adrian314159]

Employed with care and attention, though, headhunters can bring something to your business that no other employee can: abject terror in those that oppose you.

And they throw fun Windows 7 launch parties, too.

Where hed-hunters come from

[tomhudson]

If you can tell someone what you do, and they dont understand what you do, then you need to work on selling your skills.

You're assuming that the headhunter is even mildly competent in the field of interest that they're trying to fill the job for.

Most of them think:

1. the Internet == the Web == Internet Explorer,
2. that programming is "typing stuff in the computer (how hard can it be?)",
3. that Java == JavaScript,
4. that a server is the waiter/waitress who brings them their food,
5. that you don't know how to use a spelling checker because you left out the "a" in "perl" (but as a favour they'll "fix it" for you),
6. that you have an anger management problem if you're "proficient in bash",
7. that a file system is the same as a "filing system",
8. that the one true format is .doc,
9. that "plain text format" == Word,
10. that the command line is only used by crackers,
11. that hackers == crackers,
12. that unix were castrated slaves in ancient Rome,
13. that a database is "like a Rolodex",
14. that since even they can draw pretty diagrams using Access, that databases are easy,
15. that PowerPoint doesn't make you stupid,
16. that lying (padding, stretching the truth, anything that might make them a sale) is okay

So, where do these people come from? If you haven't figured it out by now, they're RealtWhores who ended up in a different job. Just like RealtWhores, they almost always add no value, you can't expect them to be honest because their interests conflict with yours, it's ultimately all about "getting the listing", and with the Internet, they're quickly becoming obsolete.

Re:Personally I'd rather you were honest with me

[CarpetShark]

it's like showing up to a first date wearing a clown wig and oversized shoes.

You don't have to get personal about it.

Re:Dumbass

[SharpFang]

...and your friendly headhunters got 20 more contracts thanks to "good work" they did on these people's resumes.

1. Modify guy's resume
2. Send him in.
3. Profit!
4. ???
5. Guy gets fired for fake resume
6. goto 1

Re:Unfortunately, a lot of people want to be lied

[lewko]

I replied to a job description which specified "minimum, six years Java experience".

Java had only been around for four years.

I asked them whether they were negotiable on the experience, or if they'd mind me calling them back in a couple of years.