recruiter etiquette

[Anonymous]

I have received a number of recruiter calls over the last few months (and days) that mention jobs at company A (and name the company). Until now, I had no interest in a job search. Can I contact company A directly, or should I go through the recruiter(s)?

[Enough Exams Already]

The recruiter mentioned the company by name?? That's odd. Most recruiters won't do that until they have your resume in hand. Does the recruiter already have your resume, or is this the first contact you've had with that particular recruiter?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Most jobs recruiters call on they only give the region and maybe the city. For some reason this company name is always disclosed.
The recruiter has never received a resume from me.

[Anonymous]

Was a specific job discussed with regards to Company A? Do you feel that you would have called Company A had you never spoken to this recruiter?

If your answers are no and yes, then I would call the company directly. Remember though, while recruiters can sometimes be a pain, they often have a relationship with the person who is doing the actual hiring, so you might have more success with the recruiter than without. Your goal here is to get the right job for you.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

There would probably be a discussion between the recruiter and the company, if the recruiter finds out you've taken the job. Recruiter will say that you found out about the job from him/her, so he/she is entitled to some compensation. Depending on the negotiation that follows, you could actually lose the offer.

We can't change the habits of recruiters, only ourselves.
1. If you're not interested in changing jobs, then do not string a recruiter along. Just say so at the beginning of the conversation. Even if they're "looking for someone who might fit this description." They called YOU for a reason, and it wasn't about your colleagues.
2. If you are interested in jobs, but are not interested in using a recruiter, just say you're not interested in discussing jobs with him/her.
3. If you are interested in the jobs that this recruiter has, then keep a log of all companies and respective recruiters, to make sure that two recruiters haven't provided you with the same job op. Companies would rather not pay for a recruiter, so think how much they wouldn't want to pay two of them.

Next-to-lastly, the internet has some sites just for actuarial positions. Free. You do get what you pay for, as some might not be updated.
Lastly, finding companies in certain areas and finding the actuary who hires isn't very difficult, either.

[Anonymous]

This topic has been discussed in the past. In general, if the recruiter doesn't have your resume they really don't have any grounds for requesting compensation. This is why most recruiters won't provide too many specifics unless you provide them with your resume.

Hypothetical: A recruiter sends out a mailing to all actuaries in the country announcing an open position. Does this mean they are entitled to compensation if anyone takes the job? I don't think so.