Timing is everything...

Life is a bit like the Keystone Kops these days. Here's how my life works:

I see a job on craigslist or some other web site. Looks appropriate for my skills. So I craft a cover letter and send off a resume (and yes, check LinkedIn to see if I have any way of making a connection to that company).

Time passes, I don't get a response. I have no idea what these employers are looking for but obviously, it's not me.

And then the recruiters start to call. But, since I've already applied to the job directly, the recruiters can't do anything for me. This has happened to me twice already. Two recruiters just called me for the same position. According to one recruiter, the company has interviewed candidates and has one or two in mind to hire, but all of a sudden, they're registering with agencies to find...what?? They HAVE candidates, but aren't too thrilled? I don't get it. Just today, this job showed up on other web sites where the tech writers hang out. I just don't get this at all. I've heard about picky employers, but really...do they expect gods and godesses?

I've decided that my new strategy when I see a new job is to call my recruiters first and see if they're have these clients. If they are, I'll apply through them. If not, I'll go direct. Maybe it will work better that way.