Recruiters

[Anonymous]

Philosophical/Ethical question:

I contacted a recruiter.
They mentioned companies A, B, and C.
I interviewed with A and have been waiting for a response. Recruiter took no action with B or C.
In the mean time, I contacted an old buddy who worked at company D, but it turns out he has since quit and works at company C now.

Can I give my resume to my bud? Should I feel obligated to work through the recruiter? Why do I feel guilty?

[G. Ringo]

You are not obligated to work through the recruiter. However, you must find out whether the recruiter has already submitted your résumé. If he has, you may ask your buddy to put in a good word for you, but you should not have him submit a duplicate résumé. If not, you must explicitly tell the recruiter (in writing if possible) not to submit your résumé to Company C. Then your buddy may submit it. If Company C receives your résumé from two sources, it will not consider you because it will anticipate a fight over a commission.

[Anonymous]

I agree, the resume is the key issue. Recruiters should not submit them without your permission. But they can only submit them if you let them have yours, so be stingy with it!